Yuan, also referred to as yuanfen, is a unique concept in Eastern culture. In Chinese-speaking societies, yuan is often used to explain guanxi-related problems, and it constitutes a thinking pattern that is applied when solving problems involving interpersonal interactions (Hsu, 2012). In Chinese-speaking communities, yuan is the basis of a unique attribution model for explaining the results of interactions between people in a complex world (Chang & Jou, 2004; Lee & Chen, 2006). The present study proposes yuan-attribution and fen-attribution models on the basis of attribution theory.

Yuan reflects a belief in fate and an external locus of control; random encounters, interpersonal relationships, and everyday opinions are considered to be predestined conclusions. In Eastern societies, this mindset leads to the adoption of a form of psychological defense that is based on the Mandate of Heaven and a belief in yuan (Chang & Jou, 2004; Wang, 1985). Consequently, they employ an operating mechanism characterized by acceptance and adaptation to achieve psychological self-adaptation. Yuan-attribution refers to an inclination to blame external factors and exhibit social indifference when specific outcomes occur in environments and under circumstances that are unpredictable and uncontrollable.

Fen reflects a belief in voluntarism and an internal locus of control. Individuals who believe in fen consider themselves to be responsible for how they relate to their surroundings, and they attempt to exercise ownership over it. They believe that their expectations can be met through self-directed behaviors; this attitude exemplifies the concepts of “man being the master of his own destiny” and “sparing no effort.” This unique belief in fen leads to the formation of an operating mechanism in which people recognize and accept their destiny, which in turn motivates them to adopt attitudes and behaviors characterized by hard work and gratitude (Hsu, 2012). Fen attribution refers to an inclination to have requirements for one’s inner self and a drive to plan for and control everything. Those who believe in fen believe that they are personally responsible for all of their successes and failures.

Job performance is a behavioral phenomenon pertaining to the workplace. Scholars who have studied job performance have focused on not only the results of behaviors associated with job performance but also the attributes associated with such behaviors. The behavioral attributes that are included in the formal requirements of an organization can indicate which in-role behaviors the organization believes are beneficial to its technical core. Such attributes include autonomy, which improves job readiness, and a willingness to use private resources to promote organizational development and to assist colleagues in improving out-of-role behaviors (Campbell, 1990; Lee et al., 1999). Self-efficacy is also a form of psychological capital (Luthans & Youssef, 2004); the term refers to an individual’s evaluation of their ability to complete a specific task, that is, their belief that self-behavior can lead to success. When an individual’s self-efficacy increases, they are likely to commit more resources (e.g., time and effort) to a task to improve their performance outcomes. Conversely, when an individual’s self-efficacy decreases, their willingness to act also decreases, and they become less willing to attempt challenging tasks and to put in effort into adopting countermeasures.

Well-being is not achieved instantaneously, and feelings of well-being vary with the individual. Satisfaction of basic is a theory that indicates that individual well-being is mainly derived from the satisfaction of individual needs; that is, an individual feels happy if their needs are met. If an individual’s needs are not met for an extended period of time, they experience unhappiness. When an individual achieves ambitious goals and meets their key needs, their well-being improves. Such experiences of satisfying needs are the main means through which well-being improves. The perspective of mental health in Chinese-derived cultures is different from the linear and logical perspective in Western cultures. Kuo and Chang (2004) proposed that Chinese-derived cultures employ circular thinking, and in such cultures, mental health involves achieving mental, emotional, and attitudinal well-being. When positive psychology is also considered, mental health can be considered psychological well-being.

The present study investigated the influences of yuan and fen attribution, on job performance and explored their influence on individual behaviors in a Chinese-speaking society. The present study revealed the necessity of focusing on the effects of yuan and fen to explore psychological development processes to clarify how they affect interpersonal relationships and job performance in Eastern cultures. Furthermore, the present study revealed yuanfen to be the foundation of theoretical construction in Eastern cultures and believing in yuan and fen to serve as effective self-defense and social-defense mechanisms. The job performance changes that result from the influence of psychological capital (e.g., self-efficacy and sense of well-being) were also discussed in the present study.

In the present study, the variables self-efficacy and well-being were set as a moderator and a mediator, respectively. Furthermore, a questionnaire survey of full-time Taiwanese workers was conducted. Purposive sampling was conducted, and Taiwan was divided into northern, central, and southern regions. Thereafter, 400 questionnaires were distributed to Taiwanese workers from these three regions, and 371 valid questionnaire were collected, indicating an effective recovery rate of 92.75%. Through confirmatory factor analysis, independent samples t tests, and hierarchical regression analysis, moderation and mediation tests were performed.

The results reveal that yuan-attribution positively influenced job performance; self-efficacy negative moderated the position effect of yuan-attribution on job performance; fen attribution positively influenced job performance and well-being; well-being positively influenced job performance; and fen attribution positively influenced job performance through the mediating effect of well-being.

The results also indicate that believing in yuan positively influenced job performance (β = .105, p < .05) and that self-efficacy moderated the association between believing in yuan and job performance (β = -.219, p < .001). That is, under the influence of high self-efficacy, the participants who believed in going with the flow and those who believed more strongly in yuan exhibited poorer job performance relative to those who did not hold these beliefs. The participants who believed strongly in yuan did not compel themselves or others to complete tasks when they encountered external stimuli. Relative to the participants who did not believe strongly in yuan, those who did were less proactive and less interested in pursuing success such that their overall job performance was consistently poorer. In other words, these participants’ self-efficacy negatively influenced their job performance. The participants who believed more strongly in yuan exhibited poorer job performance when they were under the influence of high self-efficacy. That is, an increase in self-efficacy negatively affected job performance.

By contrast, having a sense of well-being positively influenced a participant’s belief in fen and their job performance (β = .218, p < .001). In Chinese-derived cultures, individuals who operate in an interdependent, interpersonal network strive to dutifully fulfill their roles and obligations, maintain interpersonal harmony, and help their groups to thrive to thereby uphold the values of nobleness and kindness (Lu, 2008). In societies influenced by Chinese cultural beliefs, individuals who believe more strongly in fen tend to obtain a sense of well-being through their interpersonal relationships, which increases their drive to achieve excellent job performance. These individuals tend to work hard on their tasks, focus on a single task at a time, are proactive in pursuing goals that can lead to perceived success, and are highly focused on their job performance. In the present study, believing in fen was revealed to have a positively influence on job performance, and even after the effect of well-being was accounted for, belief in fen had a positive effect on job performance.