In a paper presented at the 76th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, doctoral student Harshad Puranik, along with his mentors, Heather Vough and Joel Koopman, both assistant professors of business at the University of Cincinnati, and fellow collaborator Daniel Gamache from the University of Georgia, find that self-esteem is key to predicting responses to envy in the workplace.

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The problem, explained Koopman, is that those most susceptible to envy are often those with skills that are greatly valued by employers. They can become envious more easily because they are better at perceiving an unfair situation.

"Research has shown that most creative working environments — ones that require a strong ability to negotiate and attend to detail — value employees who have a high level of epistemic motivation," said Koopman in a press release. "But that same ability to process new information for creative output also tends to show its dark side when envy comes into play."

Whether the employer recognizes it or not, he or she is often treating a subordinate better simply based on who they like and can relate to.

Supervisors and co-workers who take measures to make their colleagues feel valued and appreciated in the workplace are a natural response to concerns about low morale or a sense of unfairness at the office. But there's a downside to that as well, Koopman wrote in an earlier study: Going around comforting people takes time.

"Future research looking at solving the risk and benefits of workplace coping mechanisms can be key for maintaining a happy balance at work," he concluded.