a social influence analysis of perceived organizational support

are becoming an increasingly important relationship in the changing organizational environment
(Gibson, 2004; Ibarra, 1999). Shapiro, Haseltine and Rowe (1978) define role models as
“individuals whose behaviors, personal styles, and specific attributes are emulated by others”
(52). Social learning theories suggest that individuals observe role models because they are
helpful in learning new tasks, skills, or norms (Kohlberg, 1963).
Observation of a coworker who is considered a role model does not ensure that an
employee will know what that role model thinks about how he or she is treated by the
organization. I argue that role model ties will be influential when they are multiplex – or
comprised of more than one type of relationship (Portes, 1998). For instance, by having an
advice relationship with a role model, an employee will gain a better understanding of the role
model’s perceptions concerning the level of support the organization provides for employees.
Information or advice from role models may be more influential than advice or information from
non-role models because employees emulate perceptions and beliefs of role models. When
employees “learn” the perceptions of support of admired role models, their POS will become
similar to the POS of the role models.
Tie strength also plays an important role in social influence (Granovetter, 1982;
Krackhardt, 1990). Tie strength is defined as "the amount of time, the emotional intensity, the
intimacy (mutual confiding) and reciprocal services that characterize the tie" (Granovetter, 1973:
1361). Repeated interaction increases the repetition of information, which increases the
opportunity for the transference of social cues and as a result leads to greater similarity in
attitudes or perceptions (Krackhardt, 1990). Therefore, I expect that strong advice ties and
strong advice ties with role models will be more strongly associated with similarity in POS.
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