Perceived organizational support plays an important role in the social exchange relationship between the employee and the organization. We propose that individual differences in collectivism affect the extent to which employee-organization relationships are based on social exchange, and that therefore collectivism moderates the relationship between perceived organizational support and organizational citizenship behaviour. Results of a survey (N = 293) assessing perceived organizational support, collectivism, and supervisor ratings of organizational citizenship behaviour supported this hypothesis. We conclude that organizational citizenship behaviour originates from social exchange processes only among employees who construe the self in relatively individualistic terms.

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doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2013.858699, hdl.handle.net/1765/76664
ERIM Top-Core Articles
European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology
Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), Erasmus University

van Knippenberg, D., Prooijen, J.-W., & Sleebos, E. (2013). Beyond social exchange: Collectivism's moderating role in the relationship between perceived organizational support and organizational citizenship behaviour. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology. doi:10.1080/1359432X.2013.858699