Elevating Health Significance Post-Pandemic: Is the Employee-Organization Relationship in a Period of Change?

Purpose The purpose of this conceptual study is to explain the way in which employees influence social innovation in the employee–organization relationship, such as job crafting, i-deals, New World of Work, talent management, or high performance work practices. Methodology/Approach This study applies a practice perspective in order to explain how employees affect their employee–organization relationship and thus influence the outcomes of social innovation. Implications The theoretical exploration suggest that employees can engage in the enactment of the employee–organization relationship in three ways: enacting employment relationships, enacting employment practices, and enacting employment practices’ outcomes. In doing so, they can draw on interpretive schemes, resources, and norms for realizing the benefits of social innovation for themselves and/or their employer. Originality/Value Although organizations have started social innovation initiatives that allow employees to actively shape the employee–organization relationship, existing studies still treat employees as inactive recipients in the relationship with their employer. As a result, it remains unclear how social innovation in employee–organization relationships is implemented in practice and thus, how social innovation provides benefits to the employee and the organization. The originality of this study is its focus on how employees, as (pro-)active constituents, shape the employee–organization relationship, for finding better explanations of the outcomes of social innovation initiatives.

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate how employee–organization relationship (EOR) outcomes – types and qualities – are interrelated and how employees' perceptions of types (exchange and communal EORs) and qualities (trust, satisfaction, commitment, and control mutuality) play a role in their evaluations of symmetrical internal communication (SIC) and employee job engagement (EJE).Design/methodology/approachThis study conducted an online survey of full-time employees (N = 804) from major US industries. This study performed a confirmatory factor analysis to check the validity and reliability of the measurement model using latent variables and then conducted structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings demonstrate that employees' perceptions of both exchange and communal EORs are associated with each of the four EOR qualities. The results also show that only communal EORs have a significant relationship with perceived SIC and that employees' perceptions about one of the EOR quality indicator, satisfaction with an organization, has a significant association with their perceived EJE.Originality/valueThis study contributes to relationship management theory within the internal context by examining the interrelationship between each of the EOR types and qualities that are perceived by employees. This paper also suggests the practical importance of developing not only communal but also exchange EORs to enhance EOR quality. Additionally, the results imply that SIC programs could help to enhance employees' perceptions of communal EORs and employees could be engaged in their workplace when they are satisfied with their organizations.

This study investigated how employees’ perceptions of an organization’s dialogic employee communication influence their evaluations of their positive and negative relationships with the organization. The study further examined how employees’ relationship assessments could drive their intentions for positive and negative megaphoning about their organizations. To test the differentiating effects of dialogic employee communication on positive and negative employee-organization relationships (EORs) and, subsequently, employee megaphoning intentions, we used a dual measure with the positive and the negative EORs. The online survey of 527 full-time U.S. employees showed that dialogic employee communication – particularly mutuality orientation – distinctively influenced the employees’ EOR assessments. The survey results also showed that stronger and more-positive EORs led to increased positive megaphoning intentions, and that stronger and more-negative EORs led to increased negative megaphoning intentions. This study found that positive EOR mediated the links between dialogic employee communication and both positive and negative intentions, but that negative EOR mediated only the link between dialogic employee communication and the negative megaphoning intention.

Prior studies on employee-organization relationships (EORs) have focused on its positive aspects. Though many qualitative studies have discussed the potential negative effects in the last few years, limited empirical research to date has examined the dark side of EORs. In the present study, we explore the relationship between EORs and employees unethical pro- organizational behavior (UPB). Based on a study of 256 employees and 73 middle level managers in 26 Chinese organizations, we find that mutual-investment and over- investment EOR approaches affect employees propensity to engage in UPB more strongly than under-investment or quasi- spot contract EORs. Further, the results show that social exchange mediates the positive relationship between the mutual-investment and over-investment EORs and UPB. Organizational identification mediates the positive relationship between the mutual-investment EORs and UPB. The theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the perceptions of organizational members about employee‐organization relationships (EOR) under the globalization context.Design/methodology/approachThe study used 58 qualitative interviews with both managers and employees in multinational and domestic companies in China.FindingsFirst, the unique features of employee publics determined the nature of EOR (why and how an EOR was established) and EOR was a multi‐level (interpersonal and organizational) and multi‐dimensional (job and task related vs human and benefits oriented) concept for most organizational members. Second, the outcomes of EOR, especially trust, control mutuality, and commitment were also determined by the multi‐dimensional nature of EOR. Finally, the influencing factors on EOR can be classified into three levels: individual (such as types of employees, styles of top management), organizational (such as developmental stages and types of organizations), and macro‐environmental (such as the overall employment prospect).Originality/valueThis study contributes to relationship management theory by refining different dimensions of EOR in different types of organizations. It improves the understanding about employee relations and suggests useful and unique relationship cultivation strategies for EOR.

The research reported in this article clarifies how employee-organization relationships (EORs) work. Specifically, the authors tested whether social exchange and job embeddedness mediate how mutual-investment (whereby employers offer high inducements to employees for their high contributions) and over-investment (high inducements without corresponding high expected contributions) EOR approaches, which are based on Tsui, Pearce, Porter, and Tripoli's (1997) framework, affect quit propensity and organizational commitment. Two studies evaluated these intervening mechanisms. Study 1 surveyed 953 Chinese managers attending part-time master of business administration (MBA) programs in China, whereas Study 2 collected cross-sectional and longitudinal data from 526 Chinese middle managers in 41 firms. Standard and multilevel causal modeling techniques affirmed that social exchange and job embeddedness translate EOR influence. A second multilevel test using lagged outcome measures further established that job embeddedness mediates long-term EOR effects over 18 months. These findings corroborate prevailing views that social exchange explains how mutual- and over-investment EORs motivate greater workforce commitment and loyalty. This study enriches EOR perspectives by identifying job embeddedness as another mediator that is more enduring than social exchange.

This study examines the impact of employee-organization relationship (EOR) on job performance and second, revealing the moderating effect of leader-member exchange (LMX) toward former relationship. Individuals currently working in top 1,000 enterprises in Taiwan completed questionnaires. Based on the 198 samples from Taiwanese firms, our analysis shows that employee's job performance was found to be affected significantly by mutual-investment EOR, quasi-spot EOR, and LMX. In addition, this study found the relationship between mutual-investment EOR and job performance is moderated by LMX. However, there was no moderating effect of LMX on the relationship between quasi-spot EOR and job performance.

How societal culture influences friction in the employee–organization relationship

Greater understanding of the relationship between an employee and his/her employing organization has been the goal of organizational behaviour scholars for decades. Many questions have remained unanswered, and with this view in mind, the articles in this special issue examined the employee–organization relationship (EOR) from multiple perspectives. These articles provided considerable support for social exchange as a basis for understanding the EOR in diverse cultures, for different work arrangements and at the individual, dyadic, and organizational levels of analysis. Furthermore, several articles provided empirical evidence as to the boundary conditions of social exchange as a framework for understanding the EOR. Both conceptual and empirical articles examined distinctions and similarities among exchange related constructs. This special issue extends current thinking on the employment relationship by examining the role of culture and sense making in the formation of the EOR; the value of cognitive processes in the revision and evaluation of the EOR and; the contribution of the employer's perspective to the EOR. Future research should build on this work by focusing more attention on aspects of the context as well as individual differences that may influence EORs. Finally, the employer's perspective warrants greater attention conceptually and empirically to further our understanding of the EOR as a two‐way exchange. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

In the employment relationship, organizational factors are the main factors that affect employee behavior. Especially for knowledge-based workers, it is even more crucial for organizations to give enough attention to their individual needs. Based on Existence, Relatedness, and Growth (ERG) theory, this study constructs a moderated mediating model to explore how the impact of the employee–organization relationship (EOR) on work engagement (WE) and work well-being (WWB) of knowledge-based employees. In this study, existence–relatedness–growth need satisfaction (GNS) is used as a mediator and the perceived symbiotic relationship is used as a moderator. Data collected from 791 knowledge-based employees in higher education institutions from more than 20 provinces and cities in China are used to test the model. The results show that (1) EOR has significant positive effects on WE and WWB. (2) Need satisfaction for relatedness partially mediates the effects of EOR on WE and WWB. (3) Need satisfaction for growth mediates the effect of EOR on WE while the mediating role of need satisfaction for growth between EOR and WWB is unsupported. (4) The mediating role of need satisfaction for the existence of EOR on both WE and WWB is unsupported. (5) The perceived symbiotic relationship moderates the relationship between EOR and WE and WWB. The findings are of theoretical significance in expanding the research field of EOR and providing a basis for organizations to implement EOR strategies.

ABSTRACTThe employee–organization relationship (EOR) is a vital component in the micro‐foundations of employment systems, and yet has received little attention in the recruitment literature. Thus, we developed and tested a model in which we examined whether job seekers who held a more positive employer image prior to an on‐campus interview subsequently had more optimistic perceptions of anticipated organizational support, person‐organization fit (P‐O fit) and recruiter affect following the on‐campus interview. In turn, we assessed whether this positive employer image pathway increased the likelihood that the job seeker would apply for a job with the organization. Finally, we studied whether the recruiter's EOR served as a potential moderator of these relationships. On the basis of data collected from 383 job seekers and 85 recruiters, we found that job seekers were more strongly influenced by the recruiter's EOR if the employer image they held was positive. In addition, the recruiter's EOR moderated the positive relationship between job seeker perceived employer image and job seeker anticipated organizational support, such that the relationship was stronger when the recruiter EOR was high versus low. Further, job seeker perceived employer image was positively related to job seeker job application behaviour sequentially via anticipated organizational support and anticipated P‐O fit. However, this sequential relationship was not moderated by the recruiter's EOR. An alternate pathway with recruiter affect as a mechanism linking anticipated organizational support with job application behaviour was not significant. We discuss implications of Marsden's theory of employment systems for organizational recruitment.

The employee–organization relationship (EOR) is a construct for examining the complex perceptions of both employees and employers/managers and their expectations of one another in the workplace. Based in social exchange theory (and economic exchange theory) and the inducements–contributions model, study of the EOR enables scholars and professionals to analyze the contributions of internal communications and organizational development practices on productivity, employee engagement, satisfaction, and organizational trust. Employee–organization relationships, by way of impact on these concepts, affect internal and external organizational outcomes.

PurposeDrawing on the conservation of resources theory and attachment theory, this paper proposes that employee–organization relationship and satisfaction with work–life balance mediate the influence of workplace attachment on service recovery performance.Design/methodology/approachData collection was carried out through the distribution of questionnaires among a sample of healthcare providers from Lebanese private hospitals and analyzed via structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results indicate that workplace attachment has a significant impact on employee–organization relationship, satisfaction with work–life balance and service recovery performance. The findings further reveal that employee–organization relationship and satisfaction with work–life balance significantly influence service recovery performance and fully mediate the relationship between workplace attachment and service recovery performance.Originality/valueThis study is the first to investigate the mediating role of the employee–organization relationship and satisfaction with work–life balance between workplace attachment and service recovery performance. Over and above, this study is the first of its kind that the authors are aware of, being conducted in the healthcare sector, specifically in Lebanon. Based on the findings, the paper discusses the theoretical contributions, managerial implications and suggestions for further studies.

PurposeDrawing on interdisciplinary insights from stakeholder theory, relationship management and organizational justice, the purpose of this paper is to examine corporate social responsibility (CSR) from an internal and relational perspective. Specifically, it examines the effects of CSR in overall as well as the discretionary, ethical, legal and economic CSR dimensions on organization–employee relationships, respectively. The moderating role of employees’ perceived CSR-culture fit on these effects was also explored.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was conducted with 303 participants from the USA who were full-time employees at for-profit organizations.FindingsResults indicate that CSR performance in overall positively influences organization–employee relationships, and such effect is amplified as employees’ perceived CSR-culture fit increases. Discretionary and ethical CSR positively influence organization–employee relationships, but perceived CSR-culture fit only amplifies the influence from ethical CSR. For legal and economic CSR, the effects on organization–employee relationships are only significant when perceived CSR-culture fit is high.Research limitations/implicationsThis study extends the body of knowledge of CSR and internal relationship management. However, the limitations regarding the factors from culture, business sectors and organizational setting should be addressed in future studies through both quantitative and qualitative approaches.Originality/valueThis study provides a comprehensive understanding of the effects from four different CSR dimensions on organization–employee relationships as well as how such effects were moderated by employees’ perceived CSR-culture fit. Integrating interdisciplinary theoretical frameworks, this study offers insights for corporate communications and public relations professionals on how to effectively build and cultivate relationships with employees through different dimensions of CSR.

This study aims to propose and test an integrative model that incorporates internal communication, positive emotional culture, and employee-organization relationships. Drawing from the relationship management theory in public relations and social exchange theory, the model specifically examines the role of employee-organization relationship quality (by considering the effect of internal communication) on employee advocacy with an emphasis on the role of positive emotional culture. To test the hypothesized model, the authors conducted a quantitative survey on a random sample of 287 front-line employees working in two five-star tourist hotels in the Tehran area of Iran. To test the hypothesized model, structural equation modeling analysis was employed. The findings of the present research indicated that symmetrical communication and responsive leadership communication cultivated a positive emotional culture in organizations. Such a culture then enhanced employee-organization relationships. In addition, symmetrical communication, responsive leadership communication, and positive emotional culture influenced employee-organization relationships. Finally, it was found that positive emotional culture and the quality of employee-organization relationships positively affected employee advocacy. This study is one of the first attempts to theorize and operationalize emotional culture to enhance the quality of employee-organization relationships and employees’ supportive behaviors (e.g., employee advocacy) in the hotel industry, which fills the research gap in decades of organizational culture research that focused predominantly on the cognitive aspect. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.