Mark his motives: A motivational attribution perspective on observer responses to peer helping behaviors.

This article investigates how observers in the workplace emotionally and behaviorally respond to coworkers' helping behaviors based on their attributions of the helpers' motivations. Drawing on attribution theory and the approach-avoidance framework, the research distinguishes between prosocial motivational attributions—where help is seen as genuinely intended to benefit others—and impression-management motivational attributions—where help is perceived as self-serving to enhance one's image. Two studies, an experimental design with 178 participants and a field survey with 259 employees in China, found that prosocial attributions elicited approach-oriented emotions (positive empathy) and behaviors (increased helping, reduced exclusion), whereas impression-management attributions triggered avoidance-oriented emotions (disgust) and behaviors (increased exclusion, reduced helping). The findings highlight the importance for employees and managers to recognize the underlying motives of helping behaviors to foster mutual support and workplace harmony.