Abstract
Most career studies have focused on rational career behaviors, emphasizing how individuals can promote career development. However, they have relatively neglected the widespread phenomenon of career inaction in the real workplace, where employees choose to delay, avoid, or maintain the status quo when facing career constraints. Meanwhile, extant research has paid insufficient attention to the antecedents of career inaction, especially the relational social cues embedded in leader-member relationships. In particular, upward LMX social comparison (LMXSC), despite its prevalence, has been overlooked. Drawing on social information processing theory and conservation of resources theory, this study constructed a moderated mediating model to explore how upward LMXSC influences employees’ career action direction through leader-based self-esteem and the moderating role of the protean career orientation. Using three-wave time-lagged data from full-time Chinese employees (N=760), the results show that the upward LMXSC significantly weakens leader-based self-esteem, thereby inhibiting proactive career behavior and promoting career inaction. Moreover, protean career orientation buffers both direct and indirect influences. By incorporating both proactive career behavior and career inaction, this study extends the understanding of career research regarding relational social contexts and differentiated career responses.