What did we study, and why is that important? 

In an era marked by pressing global challenges—ranging from climate change and economic volatility to social unrest—businesses are increasingly expected to contribute to the public good. At the heart of this shift lies employee stewardship behavior, where individuals voluntarily prioritize long-term, collective welfare over short-term personal gain. This type of behavior, grounded in ethics, accountability, and social responsibility, is critical for building trust, aligning organizational goals with societal well-being, and advancing sustainable development. 

Despite its importance, stewardship behavior is fragile. While some employees persist in acting as stewards, others gradually withdraw. This inconsistency raises a key question: What drives the persistence—or diminishment—of stewardship behavior over time? 

How did we study it? 

To address this question, we turned to the Moral Virtue Theory of Status Attainment (MVT), which suggests that status can be conferred based on moral virtues and admired behaviors. In our research, we theorized that supervisors’ cultural orientation—whether collectivist or individualist—plays a critical role in shaping their admiration for employee stewardship behavior and their likelihood of conferring status on such employees. These factors, in turn, influence whether employees continue acting as stewards or retreat from these behaviors. 

We conducted two complementary studies: 

• Study 1: A vignette-based experiment involving 222 participants tested how supervisors’ cultural orientation influenced their responses to stewardship behavior. 

• Study 2: A four-wave field survey with 302 participants examined the longitudinal dynamics of these relationships in actual workplace settings. 

What did we find? 

Our findings reveal that supervisors’ cultural orientation fundamentally shapes the fate of stewardship behavior in organizations. 

Study 1: Cultural Orientation Shapes Immediate Reactions to Stewardship 

In a vignette-based experiment, we found that supervisors’ cultural orientation fundamentally shaped their reactions to stewardship behavior: 

• Collectivist-oriented supervisors were significantly more likely to admire employees’ stewardship behavior and respond by conferring status—such as signaling moral praise, granting informal authority, or endorsing the employee’s influence within the organization. 

• In contrast, individualist-oriented supervisors were less likely to admire these behaviors and less inclined to confer status, viewing stewardship through a performance-centric lens that emphasizes individual results over collective well-being. 

This study demonstrates that what counts as “admirable” is culturally filtered, and supervisors’ immediate interpretations of employee virtue are not universal, but value laden. 

Study 2: Recognition Determines Whether Stewardship Persists 

To explore the long-term effects, we conducted a four-wave field study. Over time, we tracked employees’ engagement in stewardship behavior alongside supervisors’ cultural orientation and the presence (or absence) of status conferral. 

The results were clear: 

• When supervisors conferred status in response to stewardship behavior, employees were more likely to sustain or deepen their engagement in such behavior over time. 

• Conversely, when stewardship behavior was met with silence or indifference, employees tended to withdraw, redirecting their effort toward behaviors that were more clearly recognized or rewarded. 

Crucially, supervisors with a collectivist orientation were more likely to provide this status-based reinforcement, while those with an individualist orientation were not—setting up a predictable path for persistence or diminishment of stewardship behavior. 

What are the takeaways? 

1. Supervisors are gatekeepers of stewardship. 
   Supervisors significantly influence whether employees continue to engage in stewardship behavior. Their responses—especially expressions of admiration and the conferral of status—shape employees’ perceptions of whether such behavior is worthwhile. Without positive reinforcement, stewardship efforts may diminish over time. 

2. Cultural orientation shapes recognition. 
   Supervisors with a collectivist mindset are more inclined to value and reward employees’ morally grounded, group-oriented actions. This orientation fosters a climate where stewardship is socially reinforced. In contrast, individualist-oriented supervisors may overlook or undervalue such contributions. 

3. Recognition sustains moral behavior. 
   Recognition—especially in the form of admiration and status—serves as a powerful motivator for employees to maintain prosocial actions. These gestures signal that long-term, collective-focused behavior is appreciated. Without such acknowledgment, even virtuous behavior may wane. 

4. Align recognition systems with values. 
   To institutionalize stewardship, organizations must ensure that both formal and informal recognition systems reinforce it. Performance metrics, awards, and leadership practices should consistently highlight the value of moral and collective behavior. This alignment embeds stewardship into the organization’s culture and routines. 

Why do these findings matter, and for whom? 

Our study has significant implications for policymakers, leaders, and organizations seeking to encourage responsible and socially beneficial behavior within their workforce. 

• For policymakers: Recognizing the influence of cultural orientation on supervisory behavior is essential. Stewardship behavior should be explicitly defined and promoted in public policy. In collectivist environments, efforts should focus on amplifying virtue recognition. In more individualistic settings, educational and cultural interventions may be necessary to enhance supervisors’ appreciation of stewardship values. 

• For organizations: Leadership development programs must go beyond technical skills and address moral recognition and cultural orientation. Organizations are encouraged to: 

• Train supervisors to recognize and reward stewardship behavior. 

• Embed stewardship criteria into formal performance management systems. 

• Institutionalize public recognition programs, such as “Stewardship Champion” awards. 

• Design job roles to include stewardship as a core responsibility. 

These structural and cultural changes help transform stewardship from an occasional behavior into a sustained organizational norm. 

Who should read the full paper, and why? 

This paper is a must-read for scholars in organizational behavior and management, HR and leadership practitioners, and policy designers seeking to foster responsible workplace cultures. It offers a novel, empirically grounded perspective on how culture and status interact to shape enduring employee behavior and provides actionable strategies for building stewardship into the DNA of organizations.