Salas, Eduardo2021-05-032021-05-032021-052021-04-30May 2021Reyes, Denise L.. "Moving Up or Giving Up: How Professional Rejection Sensitivity Impacts Career Success." (2021) Diss., Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/110385">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/110385</a>.https://hdl.handle.net/1911/110385Professional rejection is a widespread phenomenon—most, if not all of us, have or will experience it in our lifetimes. However, some are more adept at handling it than others. This paper explained individual differences in how people interpret and handle professional rejection, proposing a construct called professional rejection sensitivity. I focused on how this construct predicts decreased self-promoting behaviors and increased self-silencing behaviors, and subsequently, whether that impacts career success for junior faculty. Moreover, I investigated whether women may be disproportionally predisposed to professional rejection sensitivity because they tend to experience more discrimination in the workplace than men. I collected self-report data (i.e., individual differences) and biodata (i.e., curriculum vitae) from 300 junior faculty and found gender differences, such that women are higher in professional rejection sensitivity than men. I also found that individuals who are higher in professional rejection sensitivity are more likely to practice self-silencing behaviors. This paper serves as the first step in demonstrating the existence of professional rejection sensitivity, which can guide future research that addresses how individuals can overcome this disposition. To support this path of research, I conclude with suggestions for potential interventions.application/pdfengCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.rejectionrejection sensitivityworkplace rejectionprofessional rejectionself-silencing behaviorsself-promoting behaviorsdiscriminationcareer successThesis2021-05-03