Lynn M. Shore

Perceived Organizational Support And Leader-Member Exchange: A Social Exchange Perspective

Employees develop exchange relationships both with organizations and immediate superiors, as evidenced by research on perceived organizational support (POS) and leader-member exchange (LMX), respectively. Despite conceptual similarities between these two constructs, theoretical development and research has proceeded independently. In an attempt to integrate these literatures, we developed and tested a model of the antecedents and consequences of POS and LMX, based on social exchange theory. Results indicated that POS and LMX have unique antecedents and are differentially related to outcome variables, providing support for the importance of both types of exchanges.

The Role of Fair Treatment and Rewards in Perceptions of Organizational Support and Leader-Member Exchange

This study examined a model of the antecedents and consequences of perceived organizational support (POS) and leader-member exchange (LMX). It was predicted that organizational justice (procedural and distributive justice) and organizational practices that provide recognition to the employee (feelings of inclusion and recognition from upper management) would influence POS. For LMX, it was predicted that leader reward (distributive justice and contingent rewards) and punishment behavior would be important antecedents. Results based on a sample of 211 employee-supervisor dyads indicated that organizational justice, inclusion, and recognition were related to POS and contingent rewards were related to LMX. In terms of consequences, POS was related to employee commitment and organizational citizenship behavior, whereas LMX predicted performance ratings.

A Construct Validity Study of the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support

Eisenberger, Huntington, Hutchinson, and Sowa (1986) recently conducted a study focused on ameasure of perceived employer commitment that they called the Survey of Perceived Organiza-tional Support (SPOS). In the present study, confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine thedimensionality of the SPOS and to determine the distinctiveness of this construct from othersimilar constructs. Participants were 330 employees in a large corporation headquartered in thesoutheastern United States. The results support the SPOS as a unidimensional scale that is distin-guishable from affective and continuance commitment. However, the data raise some question asto the empirical distinction between the SPOS and satisfaction.

Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment in Relation to Work Performance and Turnover Intentions

The differential associations that job satisfaction and organizational commitment have with job performance and turnover intentions were studied in a sample of bank tellers and hospital professionals. Results showed that organizational commitment was more strongly related than job satisfaction with turnover intentions for the tellers, but not for the professionals. Job satisfaction was related more strongly than organizational commitment with supervisory ratings of performance for both samples. The findings suggest that specific job attitudes are more closely associated with task-related out-comes such as performance ratings, whereas global organizational attitudes are more closely associated with organization-related outcomes like turnover intentions.

Inclusion and Diversity in Work Groups: A Review and Model for Future Research

A great deal of research has focused on work group diversity, but management scholars have only recently focused on inclusion. As a result, the inclusion literature is still under development, with limited agreement on the conceptual underpinnings of this construct. In this article, the authors first use Brewer’s optimal distinctiveness theory to develop a definition of employee inclusion in the work group as involving the satisfaction of the needs of both belongingness and uniqueness. Building on their definition, the authors then present a framework of inclusion. Their framework is subsequently used as a basis for reviewing the inclusion and diversity literature. Potential contextual factors and outcomes associated with inclusion are suggested in order to guide future research.

Examining degree of balance and level of obligation in the employment relationship: a social exchange approach

Summary A typology of four exchange relationships defined by two dimensions (degree of balance in employee and employer obligations; level of obligation) was evaluated. Three hundred and twenty seven working MBA students participated in the study. Results generally supported the existence of our proposed four-group typology since: (1) four distinct patterns of obligations emerged in the cluster analysis, and (2) mean diAerences were shown for the four exchange types on the criterion variables. Of particular note was the finding that the mutual high obligations relationship (both employee and employer obligations were consistently perceived to be high) showed much higher levels of perceived organizational support, career future, and aAective commitment, and lower levels of turnover intention than all other types of exchange relationships. This suggests the importance of diAerences in the type of exchange relationship, as perceived by the employee, for both employees and organizations. #1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Predictors of Planned Retirement Age: An Application of Beehr's Model

Given the aging workforce, understanding the retirement process is an area of increasing interest to organizations. T. A. Beehrs (1986) model of retirement behavior was used in this study as a basis for selecting personal, psychological, and organizational predictors of subsequent planned retirement age. In addition, potential differences in predictors of the planned retirement age of retirement-eligible and retirement-ineligible respondents were explored. Two hundred sixty-four respondents working for a large multinational firm completed 2 surveys on their attitudes toward work and retirement. Results showed that chronological age, employee health, and self-perceptions of the ability to adjust to retirement predicted subsequent planned retirement age. Interactions of the predictors with retirement eligibility are reported along with implications for retirement-planning programs.

Work attitudes and decisions as a function of manager age and employee age.

Research has shown the importance of employee age relative to coworker age in determining attitudes, performance, and career-related opportunities. The authors used chronological and subjective measures of employee and manager age to determine whether employee age relative to the manager has an impact on these same outcome variables. One hundred eighty-five managers and 290 employees completed surveys. The strongest and most consistent age effects were observed for interactions between employee and manager chronological age. Both the magnitude and pattern of the employee-manager age interactions varied by self- and manager-rated outcome measures of work attitudes, performance and promotability assessments, and developmental experiences. Results are discussed in light of the relational demography and career timetable literatures.

THE EMPLOYEE-ORGANIZATION RELATIONSHIP: A TIMELY CONCEPT IN A PERIOD OF TRANSITION

The employee-organization relationship (EOR) has increasingly become a focal point for researchers in organizational behavior, human resource management, and industrial relations. Literature on the EOR has developed at both the individual – (e.g. psychological contracts) and the group and organizational-levels of analysis (e.g. employment relationships). Both sets of literatures are reviewed, and we argue for the need to integrate these literatures as a means for improving understanding of the EOR. Mechanisms for integrating these literatures are suggested. A subsequent discussion of contextual effects on the EOR follows in which we suggest that researchers develop models that explicitly incorporate context. We then examine a number of theoretical lenses to explain various attributes of the EOR such as the dynamism and fairness of the exchange, and new ways of understanding the exchange including positive functional relationships and integrative negotiations. The article concludes with a discussion of future research needed on the EOR.

Social Exchange in Work Settings: Content, Process, and Mixed Models

Social exchange theory has provided the dominant basis for understanding exchange relationships in organizational settings. Despite its predominance within the management field, there are a number of unaddressed issues. This special issue seeks to further social exchange research in work settings. We differentiate social from economic exchange and highlight the moderating role of cultural and individual differences in explaining the outcomes associated with social exchange relationships. We introduce the ideas of content, process, and mixed models of exchange to reflect the different emphases given to the amount and type of resources exchanged, the quality of the relationship, and a combination of both. The five papers in this special issue illustrate these models. We discuss the applicability of social exchange theory across cultural contexts and present suggestions for future research.