Exchange without return: helping behaviors over time in positive and negative reciprocity relationships

dc.contributorBachrach, Daniel G.
dc.contributorHarms, Peter D.
dc.contributorHochwarter, Wayne A.
dc.contributorWhitman, Marilyn V.
dc.contributor.advisorHalbesleben, Jonathon R. B.
dc.contributor.authorLeon, Matthew R.
dc.contributor.otherUniversity of Alabama Tuscaloosa
dc.date.accessioned2017-04-26T14:24:06Z
dc.date.available2017-04-26T14:24:06Z
dc.date.issued2015
dc.descriptionElectronic Thesis or Dissertationen_US
dc.description.abstractThere is broad awareness that the health of coworker relationships is often built on reciprocity and assessments of member exchanges, where relationships are pursued or terminated based on benefits received. Both social exchange theory and equity theory propose that, when an exchange relationship is no longer favorable (i.e., a negative reciprocity relationship), an individual should terminate it to prevent resource losses. While this is economically rational, it often is impossible or impractical to terminate a relationship in a work context. The objective of this dissertation is to address this apparent mismatch between theories of helping behavior and typical workplace dynamics. I do so by exploring three possible explanations for this mismatch. First, I argue that the one of the key assumptions of social exchange theory, that the relationships are voluntary, may not always hold in a work setting. Second, I argue that fluctuations in investment behavior, specifically helping, changes in a non-linear fashion over time. Finally, I examine the impact of reciprocity, perceptions of team member efficacy, and third-party investment on helping behaviors in a sustained, negative reciprocity relationship. Across two experiments and one field study, I found that helping behaviors change discontinuously over time, individuals will help a partner complete an interdependent task regardless of reciprocation, and that helping is driven by a combination of factors including partner performance and general perceptions of a partner's helpfulness.en_US
dc.format.extent94 p.
dc.format.mediumelectronic
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.otheru0015_0000001_0002140
dc.identifier.otherLeon_alatus_0004D_12569
dc.identifier.urihttp://ir.ua.edu/handle/123456789/3035
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Alabama Libraries
dc.relation.hasversionborn digital
dc.relation.ispartofThe University of Alabama Electronic Theses and Dissertations
dc.relation.ispartofThe University of Alabama Libraries Digital Collections
dc.rightsAll rights reserved by the author unless otherwise indicated.en_US
dc.subjectManagement
dc.subjectOrganizational behavior
dc.titleExchange without return: helping behaviors over time in positive and negative reciprocity relationshipsen_US
dc.typethesis
dc.typetext
etdms.degree.departmentUniversity of Alabama. Department of Management and Marketing
etdms.degree.disciplineManagement
etdms.degree.grantorThe University of Alabama
etdms.degree.leveldoctoral
etdms.degree.namePh.D.

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
file_1.pdf
Size:
1.04 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format