Sandy J. Wayne

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.

Social Networks and the Performance of Individuals and Groups

A field study involving 190 employees in 38 work groups representing five diverse organizations provided evidence that social networks, as defined in terms of both positive and negative relations, are related to both individual and group performance. As hypothesized, individual job performance was positively related to centrality in advice networks and negatively related to centrality in hindrance networks composed of relationships tending to thwart task behaviors. Hindrance network density was significantly and negatively related to group performance.

An Examination of the Mediating Role of Psychological Empowerment on the Relations Between the Job, Interpersonal Relationships, and Work Outcomes

A field investigation of 337 employees and their immediate superiors tested the mediating role of empowerment in relations between job characteristics, leader-member exchange (LMX), team-member exchange (TMX), and work outcomes. The meaning and competence dimensions of empowerment mediated the relation between job characteristics and work satisfaction. The meaning dimension also mediated the relation between job characteristics and organizational commitment. Contrary to prediction, empowerment did not mediate relations between LMX, TMX, and the outcome variables. Rather, LMX and TMX were directly related to organizational commitment. In addition, TMX was directly related to job performance. These findings suggest that work satisfaction is explained largely by job characteristics (through empowerment) but that LMX and TMX combine with job characteristics and empowerment to explain variation in organizational commitment and job performance.

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.

The role of human capital, motivation and supervisor sponsorship in predicting career success

Based on Turners (1960) contest- and sponsored-mobility systems, a comprehensive model of the determinants of career success was examined. Human capital and motivational variables represented the contest-mobility system whereas leader–member exchange and supervisor career mentoring represented the sponsored-mobility system. Results based on data from 245 supervisor–subordinate dyads indicated limited support for the contest-mobility system and strong support for the sponsored-mobility system. Interestingly, the two forms of sponsorship were differentially related to career outcomes. Specifically, leader–member exchange was positively related to salary progression, promotability, and career satisfaction. Career mentoring, however, was only related to promotability. Copyright

The Effects of Leader-Member Exchange on Employee Citizenship and Impression Management Behavior

A field study was conducted to examine the relationship between leader-member exchange (LMX) and two types of employee behavior: citizenship behavior and impression management. One form of citizenship behavior, altruism, and one form of impression management, other-focused were significantly related to LMX. Implications of the results are discussed.

Social Loafing: A Field Investigation

Social loafing was investigated by testing a multilevel model among 23 intact work groups comprised of 168 employees representing two organizations. Results demonstrated that as hypothesized at the individual level, increases in task interdependence and decreases in task visibility and distributive justice were associated with greater occurrence of social loafing. At the group level, increased group size and decreased cohesiveness were related to increased levels of social loafing. Of particular interest was the finding that group member perceptions of perceived coworker loafing was associated with reduced social loafing, opposite of our predictions. We suggested that this unexpected finding may provide evidence of a social compensation effect.

An Examination of Perceived Organizational Support as a Multidimensional Construct in the Context of an Expatriate Assignment

We examined a multidimensional measure of perceived organizational support (adjustment POS, career POS, and financial POS) within an integtrative stress model of expatriate success. Expatriate success was defined in terms of multiple criteria and the predictors included role stressors, situational stressors, supervisor support, and POS. Hypotheses were tested with 230 expatriate–supervisor dyads and S.E.M. analyses. Support was found for a partially mediated model. The results showed that the POS dimensions differentially predicted expatriate success criteria.

The effects of impression management on the performance appraisal process

Abstract A laboratory experiment was designed to test the influence of subordinate impression management on two aspects of the performance appraisal process: supervisor ratings of subordinate performance and supervisor verbal communication in a performance appraisal interview. It was hypothesized that subordinate impression management would inflate performance ratings and both impression management and objective performance would influence the supervisors style of verbal communication in the interview. Subjects consisted of 96 undergraduate students who performed a supervisory role in the study. Subjects interacted with a confederate subordinate who engaged in high or low levels of impression management and performed at a high, average, or low level. Results suggested support for the positive influence of subordinate impression management on performance ratings. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for human resource management practice.

An Examination of the Relationship Between Upward Influence Tactics and Assessments of Promotability

The study investigates the importance of subordinate influence tactics and individual differences on supervisors’ perceptions of promotability. Influence tactics were assessed by supervisors’ perceptions of subordinate use of three influence tactics (ingratiation, reasoning, and assertiveness), as well as subordinates ’self-reports. The four individual difference variables examined were education, organizational tenure, race, and gender. Results indicated the importance of both influence tactics and individual differences on assessments of promotability.