THE CRITICISM CYCLE: PREDICTING THE GENERATION AND RESPONSE TO CRITICISMS OF THE GROUP FROM ONE'S COMMITMENT TO THE GROUP

Abstract

The criticism cycle involving the government and the citizen begins with an unfavorable policy to which the affected citizen generates criticism. When received by members of the government agency responsible for the policy, civil servants may respond to the criticism with behaviors that either exacerbate or alleviate the initial problem, to perpetuate or dissolve the criticism cycle respectively. Defined as the extent to which one desires to benefit the group, individuals who are more committed to the group are more likely to generate and interpret criticisms as a way to achieve this goal. In study 1 (N = 245), Singaporeans generated criticisms to three controversial government policies. Results revealed that more highly committed citizens generated criticisms that were more constructive (more specific). In study 2 (N = 100), employees of Singapore's public transport service provider (SMRT Corporation) responded to either a constructive or destructive criticism made by a bogus commuter. A moderated mediation model revealed that criticism conditions affected job-related motivations through the experience of anger. In addition, this influence is more significant when group members were more highly committed to the group. Together, these results elucidate the complexities within the dynamic system comprising the critic of the group and the recipient of the group criticism, and suggest a nuanced understanding of these interacting parts in the real world.