a social influence analysis of perceived organizational support
a social influence analysis of perceived organizational support
a social influence analysis of perceived organizational support
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Researchers also consider the content <strong>of</strong> relationships that exist between individuals<br />
because different types <strong>of</strong> relationships, or ties, can be more or less influential (Friedkin, 1993;<br />
Ho, Levesque, & Rousseau, 2003). Studies examining tie content usually explore how<br />
friendship and advice ties <strong>influence</strong> perceptions or attitudes (Ibarra & Andrews, 1993).<br />
Friendship ties are strong, emotion-based ties connecting individuals with similar personal<br />
characteristics (Marsden, 1988) and as a result are useful for <strong>social</strong> comparison (Ibarra &<br />
Andrews, 1993). For instance, when an employee identifies with and interacts with a friend who<br />
is also an employee in the same organization, the treatment that the friend receives from the<br />
organization may serve as signal to the employee regarding how he or she is treated by the<br />
organization (Felson & Reed, 1986). When the friend has been treated poorly by the<br />
organization, the employee will interpret this information as a signal that he or she has also been<br />
treated poorly by the organization, and vice versa. As a result, an employee’s POS will become<br />
more similar to those <strong>of</strong> other employees with whom they maintain friendships.<br />
Although friendship ties are based on affect, employees share information or advice<br />
related to the completion <strong>of</strong> their work, <strong>organizational</strong> policies, procedures and events through<br />
advice ties (Ibarra, 1993; Morrison, 1993; 2002). Based on this, advice ties should play a role in<br />
<strong>social</strong> information processing: when employees do not understand what is occurring in the<br />
organization, they will use advice ties to gain insight. Advice-sharing exposes employees’ to<br />
their coworkers’ views and beliefs about the organization. This exposure or sharing will play a<br />
role in shaping beliefs about the treatment employees receive from the organization, leading to<br />
similarity in POS.<br />
While friendship and advice ties are fairly common in <strong>social</strong> <strong>influence</strong> studies, role<br />
models have been largely ignored in this line <strong>of</strong> research. This is surprising because role models<br />
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