Social identity theory suggests that if a close friend excels in an area that is important to us, then we will feel threatened by them. But if they excel in an

Social identity theory suggests that if a close friend excels in an area that is important to us, then we will feel threatened by them. But if they excel in an area not important to us, we will share in their success. Research into basic desires also suggests that some people are competitive in nature, to the exclusion of others. So to help you find an answer to your question: Are we concerned about our performance on the job? Are we concerned about career advancement in general? Are the person(s) in question a competitive (i.e. vengeful) personality? What about the rest of the team? Americans are notable for having one of the most competitive cultures in the West, whereas Germany has one of the least.