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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etc. are <strong>of</strong>ten chosen for comparison; and (3) <strong>social</strong> comparisons will have strong effects when<br />
objective non<strong>social</strong> comparisons are unavailable and when others’ evaluations are important to<br />
the individual.<br />
Generally, individuals engage in <strong>social</strong> comparison for purposes <strong>of</strong> self-evaluation, self-<br />
improvement, and self-enhancement (Wood, 1989). Self-evaluation occurs when one compares<br />
oneself to others in an effort to create an accurate assessment <strong>of</strong> one’s personal attributes. Self-<br />
improvement refers to situations in which an individual compares him or herself to others who<br />
are better <strong>of</strong>f in order to improve him or herself. Finally, self-enhancement occurs when an<br />
individual compares him or herself to others who are worse <strong>of</strong>f in an effort to improve their own<br />
self-esteem. Consistent with this framework, research shows that <strong>social</strong> comparison can affect<br />
an individual’s evaluation <strong>of</strong> his or her attractiveness (Richins, 1991), coping abilities (Wood,<br />
Taylor, & Lichtman, 1985), and skills (Gibbons, Benbow, & Gerrard, 1994).<br />
Social comparison can also be used to understand an individual’s beliefs concerning how<br />
he or she is treated by a third party, such as an organization (Ho, 2002). In this vein, <strong>social</strong><br />
comparison occurs when individuals evaluate the outcomes that they receive from a third party,<br />
especially when the value <strong>of</strong> the outcomes is subjective and the individuals have no objective<br />
standard for comparison. When an individual discusses his or her beliefs about treatment from a<br />
third party with another individual with whom he or she identifies, the beliefs <strong>of</strong> the individuals<br />
may change. Specifically, <strong>social</strong> comparison can either result in association with others, which<br />
yields similar perceptions, or comparison with others, which yields dissimilar perceptions.<br />
These processes are discussed in greater detail in the following paragraphs.<br />
Social comparison may result in similar perceptions between two individuals when an<br />
individual associates him or herself closely with another individual. When an individual<br />
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