Drawing upon the conservation of resource theory, we offer a framework for understanding the mechanism underlying the effect of public employees’ overqualification on their cognitive and behavioral outcomes, through both positive and negative paths. We propose that perceived overqualification elicits two subjective cognitions, namely, perceived control and psychological entitlement, which further lead to public employees’ behaviors through approach (organizational citizenship behavior) and avoidance (workplace deviance behavior) tendencies. A total of 421 public employees participated in the three-stage time-lag investigation. The findings indicated that public employees’ perceived overqualification is positively related to perceived control, and perceived control is positively related to organizational citizenship behavior. Perceived control completely mediates the relationship between perceived overqualification and organizational citizenship behavior. Perceived overqualification is positively related to psychological entitlement, and psychological entitlement is positively related to workplace deviance behavior. Psychological entitlement completely mediates the relationship between perceived overqualification and workplace deviance behavior. This study constructed a double-edged sword model of perceived overqualification based on the public sector, discussing the influence of public employees’ perceived overqualification on their workplace behaviors from the perspective of resource assessment and self-evaluation, and providing theoretical guidance for the practice of human resource management within the public sector.

As proactivity becomes vital for organizational success, retaining proactive employees becomes increasingly important, making the relationship between a proactive personality and turnover intention a key research topic. While existing studies have largely depicted turnover as a consequence of dissatisfaction and have identified negative indirect relationships, this study seeks to challenge that perspective by proposing that, in today’s boundaryless career environment, people also engage in voluntary turnover for career advancement. Using a self-regulation career management model, we propose that proactive employees set ambitious career goals influenced by career aspirations, leading them to seek external opportunities and thus exhibit higher turnover intention. However, when organizations implement career management practices, this relationship weakens as proactive employees perceive opportunities to achieve their goals within their current organizations. We tested these hypotheses with a sample of 342 respondents using the SPSS macro PROCESS. The findings support our propositions, revealing a positive indirect effect through career aspirations, which diminishes when perceived organizational career management is strong.

Based on social learning theory, this study examined the curvilinear relationship between benevolent leadership and subordinates’ interpersonal citizenship behavior and the moderating role of extraversion. We used a questionnaire survey to collect data in China at two points in time, resulting in 310 usable civil servants’ responses to test our hypotheses. Results showed an inverted U-shaped relationship between benevolent leadership and civil servants’ interpersonal citizenship behavior. Moreover, extraversion moderated the curvilinear relationship, such that the inverted U-shaped relationship was significant only for civil servants with low extraversion. For civil servants with high extraversion, benevolent leadership was positively related to their interpersonal citizenship behavior. These findings broaden benevolent leadership research by verifying its potential negative effects on subordinates’ ICB, which revealed that a moderate level of benevolent leadership should be emphasized and developed in the public sector.

Although extensive research has examined the relationship between public service motivation and job-related outcomes among civil servants, limited attention has been paid to its career-related consequences. Drawing on the model of proactive motivation, this study investigates how and when public service motivation fosters civil servants’ subjective career success. Through a two-wave questionnaire survey of 270 civil servants from China, the findings reveal that public service motivation has a positive effect on civil servants’ subjective career success via the mediating role of career crafting. Moreover, visionary leadership and future work self-salience can strengthen this mediated relationship. Theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.