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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they admire, and 2) provide them with job-related advice. Therefore, although not directly<br />
tested, these findings <strong>of</strong>fer some <strong>support</strong> for <strong>social</strong> information processing and <strong>social</strong> learning as<br />
theoretical underpinnings <strong>of</strong> <strong>social</strong> <strong>influence</strong>.<br />
Interestingly, strong friendship ties were not significantly and positively related to<br />
similarity in POS. Thus, results <strong>of</strong> this study did not <strong>of</strong>fer <strong>support</strong> for either the associative or<br />
comparative function <strong>of</strong> <strong>social</strong> comparison, at least with respect to friendship ties. Social<br />
comparison could have played a role in the effects <strong>of</strong> advice and role model ties. As mentioned<br />
previously, employees who associated with friends would tend to develop perceptions similar to<br />
those <strong>of</strong> friends, while employees who compared perceptions <strong>of</strong> <strong>support</strong> to those <strong>of</strong> their friends<br />
would be expected to have perceptions that were dissimilar to those <strong>of</strong> their friends. Regression<br />
results generally showed that strong ties characterized by friendship were positively, although<br />
not significantly, related to similarity in POS. For instance, strong friendship ties were only<br />
related to similarity in POS when such friends were also role models who provided advice.<br />
Although strong friendship ties were not related to similarity or dissimilarity in POS, role<br />
model relationships were. I expected that in order for role models to be influential, it would be<br />
necessary for an employee to maintain an advice or friendship relationship with the role model.<br />
However, the findings indicate that this was not the case. Employees had similar POS to those<br />
<strong>of</strong> role models with whom they had frequent interaction, regardless <strong>of</strong> whether or not that<br />
interaction included the exchange <strong>of</strong> advice or friendship. This suggests that role models may<br />
serve a role similar to that <strong>of</strong> opinion leaders in organizations as well (Reynolds & Wells, 1977).<br />
While these role models may not have been considered friends or advice ties by their colleagues,<br />
other employees may have gone to them occasionally to request their opinions on matters related<br />
to the organization, or perhaps others even became aware <strong>of</strong> their opinions second hand. Such a<br />
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