Integrating social exchange and affective explanations for the receipt of help and harm: A social network approach

• Published in: Organizational behavior and human decision processes 2012, Vol.117 (1), p.66-79
• Main Authors: Lyons, Brent J., Scott, Brent A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Affect; Affect (Psychology); Affectivity; Biological and medical sciences; Citizenship behaviors; Counterproductive behaviors; Coworkers; Emotions; Employees; Engagement; Food service industry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Interpersonal relations; Occupational psychology; Organization and management. Professional relation; Organizational behavior; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Social exchange; Social networks; Studies; Work place; Workplaces
• ISSN: 0749-5978; 1095-9920
• DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2011.10.002

► Integrate social exchange and affect theories to explain receipt of help and harm. ► Social network analysis of 534 relationships from three food services organizations. ► Receipt of help predicted by engagement in help and elicitation of positive affect. ► Receipt of harm predicted by engagement in harm and elicitation of negative affect. ► Affect may enable reciprocal imbalance in social exchange relationships. We integrated theories of social exchange and emotion to explain the receipt of interpersonal citizenship (help) and counterproductive behaviors (harm). Using social network methodology, data on a total of 534 relationships were obtained from three samples of employees working for a food services organization. Results were consistent across all three samples. Employees received help and harm from coworkers toward whom they engaged in those behaviors, as well as from coworkers in whom they elicited positive and negative affective states, respectively. Additionally, affective states predicted the receipt of help and harm controlling for engagement, suggesting a means by which social exchanges may become imbalanced. Overall, findings demonstrate the validity of social exchange and affective explanations for the receipt of help and harm in the workplace.