Jeongkoo Yoon

Network structure and emotion in exchange relations

Network structures promote cohesive social relations among some actors and not others. Based on the theory of relational cohesion (Lawler and Yoon 1996), we hypothesize that an emotional/affective process explains how and when network structures produce such effects. The main ideas are: (1) If a network produces differential exchange frequencies among component dyads then, ceterus paribus, that network will tend to produce different degrees of internal cohesion within those dyads and will do so through the positive emotions or feelings generated by successful exchanges. (2) This effect should be more evident in equal than in unequal-power relations, and it should be weaker when network members share an overarching group identity. We conduct an experiment to test these hypotheses. The results indicate: Dyadic cohesion develops through an emotional/affective process in equal-power relations, as hypothesized, but not in unequal-power relations; and an overarching group identity reduces the degree that central actors exploit peripheral ones but does not impact dyad-level cohesion. The larger implication is that in networks containing both equal and unequal-power relations, internal pockets of cohesion are more likely to emerge in the former because of the mild, everyday positive feelings produced by successful exchanges.

A Dual Process Model of Organizational Commitment Job Satisfaction and Organizational Support

The authors propose and test a new dual-process model of organizational commitment that connects organizational practices and specific job characteristics to the emotions and cognitions of employees. In turn, emotional reactions and cognitive processes are theorized to be the proximate cause of organizational commitment. Specifically, the model stipulates that overall job satisfaction and perceptions of organizational support are key emotional and cognitive processes that mobilize commitment in the workplace. The theoretical model was estimated with a sample of employees drawn from two large Korean organizations (N = 2,443). Overall, the results provide strong support for the model. The main findings are that feelings of job satisfaction and perceptions of organizational support operate through independent channels to mediate the impact of work experiences on organizational commitment. The authors discuss the implications of these findings in light of current theory and research on commitment.

Social Exchange and Micro Social Order

This study uses an affect theory of social exchange (Lawler 2001) to investigate how and when network structures generate “micro social orders.” Micro social order entails recurrent interactions, emotional reactions, perceptions of a group, and affective sentiments. The core theoretical argument is that micro orders, involving behavioral, cognitive, and affective dimensions, develop and are stronger to the degree that (1) actors engage in highly joint tasks or activities and (2) these tasks generate a sense of shared responsibility for the interaction outcomes. A laboratory experiment varies different forms of social exchange—negotiated, reciprocal, generalized, and productive—within a network structure, and offers strong support for the core expectation that productive forms of exchange generate the strongest micro order. Conversely, generalized exchange generates the weakest order, with negotiated and reciprocal forms in between. In general, productive exchange bolsters more exchange behavior, more positive feelings, perceptions of cohesion at the network level, and affective attachments to the network as a social unit. This research has broad implications for the conditions under which task activity promotes micro social orders that involve strong person-to-group ties (as opposed to person-to-person ties) and affective sentiments regarding the social unit.

Commitment in Structurally Enabled and Induced Exchange Relations

Network structures both enable and constrain the development of social relations. This research investigates these features by comparing the development of commitments in structurally enabled and structurally induced exchange relations. We integrate ideas from the theory of relational cohesion and the choice process theory of commitment. In an experiment we manipulate and compare a structurally enabled relation with a structurally induced relation. The main hypotheses are that a structurally enabled relation generates a greater sense of control, more positive emotions, greater perceived cohesion, and more commitment behavior than a structurally induced relation. The results of the experiment support these hypotheses. The implication is that enabling and constraining features of network structures exert important effects on cohesion and commitment in relations within those structures.

The Emergence of Embedded Relations and Group Formation in Networks of Competition

This study examines how and when small networks of self-interested agents generate a group tie or affiliation at the network level. A group affiliation is formed when actors (a) perceive themselves as members of a group and (b) share resources with each other despite an underlying competitive structure. We apply a concept of structural cohesion to small networks of exchange and identify two dimensions of such networks that foster a group affiliation: the network-wide potential for inclusion in exchanges and the inequality of structural power. These structural properties are theorized to generate positive emotions and cognitions that promote collectively oriented behavior toward others in the exchange network, even if such behavior runs counter to individual self-interest. We theorize and test how and when such structural properties give rise to embedded social relations, thereby forging connections between micro theories of exchange and macro theories of social embeddedness.

The theory of relational cohesion: Review of a research program research program

In this paper we analyze and review the theory of relational cohesion and attendant program of research. Since the early 1990s, the theory has evolved to answer a number of basic questions regarding cohesion and commitment in social exchange relations. Drawing from the sociology of emotion and modern theories of social identity, the theory asserts that joint activity in the form of frequent exchange unleashes positive emotions and perceptions of relational cohesion. In turn, relational cohesion is predicted to be the primary cause of commitment behavior in a range of situations. Here we outline the theory of relational cohesion, tracing its development through the present day, and summarize the corpus of empirical evidence for the theorys claims. We conclude by looking ahead to future projects and discussing some of the more general issues informed by our work.

Relational Cohesion Model of Organizational Commitment

Excerpt] This chapter reviews the research program of relational cohesion theory (RCT) (Lawler & Yoon, 1993, 1996, 1998; Lawler et al., 2000; Thye et al., 2002) and uses it to develop a model of organizational commitment. Broadly, relational cohesion theory (RCT) has attempted to understand conditions and processes that promote an expressive relation in social exchange; an expressive relation is indicated by relational cohesion, that is, the degree to which exchange partners perceive their relationship as a unifying object having its own value. The research program argues that such relational cohesion is a proximal cause of various forms of behavioral commitment in a group setting, for example stay behavior, gift-giving and investment. In this chapter, we develop a model of organizational commitment through the following three steps: First, we review the program of relational cohesion theory (RCT) and establish the key theoretical concepts and theorems through which it explains how instrumentally motivated actors in exchange relations develop an expressive relation. Second, we apply the concepts and theorems to derive a ‘relational-cohesion model’ of organizational commitment. Third, we examine the heuristic value of the new model by deriving predictions with respect to several organizational phenomena to which conventional organizational commitment theories may not have paid sufficient attention. The role of emotions is highlighted and our purpose is to theorize the interrelationships of instrumental, affective and normative forms of organizational commitment.

Exchange and cohesion in dyads and triads: A test of Simmel's hypothesis.

This paper uses social exchange theory to address a classic question posed by Simmel (1964) regarding dyads and triads. The question is whether exchanges in a triad will generate more cohesion at the group level than exchanges in an isolated dyad. The main hypotheses, integrating several ideas from Simmel and social exchange theories, are as follows. First, triads generate less variability of behavior than dyads; that is, there is more uniformity or convergence in triads. Second, in the context of repeated exchange, we predict higher levels of cohesion in triads than in dyads. Third, positive emotion or affect has a stronger impact on cohesion in dyads than in triads, whereas uncertainty reduction has a stronger impact on cohesion in triads. To test these hypotheses, an experiment compared isolated dyads to dyads nested in a triadic exchange network. Subjects engaged in exchanges across a series of distinct episodes, using standard experimental procedures from research on relational cohesion (Lawler and Yoon, 1996) and exchange networks (Molm and Cook, 1995; Willer, 1999). Consistent with the hypotheses, the results reveal more convergence of behavior and higher cohesion in triads than in dyads; moreover, uncertainty reduction is the primary basis for cohesion in the triad, whereas positive affect was the primary basis for cohesion in the dyad. These results are discussed in relation to Simmelian dyad-triad dynamics and the theory of relational cohesion.

Emotions and Group Ties in Social Exchange

This chapter presents a general theory specifying how people develop affective ties and commitments to groups. The foundation is research and theorizing about the role of emotion in social exchange. A central question is: When will people in social interaction or exchange attribute emotions felt to a group entity? The group can be a small local entity, a larger organization, or even a nation state. The research documents that positive emotions mediate the effects of social exchange on the formation of affective group ties, in part because people make social unit attributions of their emotions. Moreover, people make social unit attributions especially when they work on joint tasks that generate a sense of shared responsibility. Shared responsibility drives or moderates the interaction-to- emotion-to-group-tie process. Affective group ties enhance group-oriented behaviors and create more resilient social orders than instrumental ties.

Relational Cohesion, Social Commitments, and Person-to-Group Ties: Twenty-Five Years of a Theoretical Research Program

Abstract Purpose This chapter analyzes the ways that individuals develop person-to-group ties. The chapter reviews the development and evidentiary basis of the theory of relational cohesion, the affect theory of social exchange, and the theory of social commitments. Methodology/Approach We survey twenty-five years of published literature on these theories, and review unpublished theoretical tests and extensions that are currently in progress. Findings The research program has grown substantially over the past twenty-five years to encompass more varied and diverse phenomena. The findings indicate that structural interdependencies, repeated exchanges, and a sense of shared responsibility are key conditions for people to develop affective ties to groups, organizations, and even nation-states. Research Limitations/Implications The research implies that if people are engaged in joint tasks, they attribute positive or negative feelings from those tasks to their local groups (teams, departments) and/or to larger organizations (companies, communities). To date, empirical tests have focused on microlevel processes. Practical Implications Our work has practical implications for how managers or supervisors organize tasks and work routines in a way to maximize group or organizational commitment. Social Implications This research helps to understand problems of fragmentation that are faced by decentralized organizations and also how these can be overcome. Originality/Value of the Chapter The chapter represents the most complete and comprehensive review of the theory of relational cohesion, the affect theory of social exchange, and the theory of social commitments to date.