The Push-and-Pull of Frenemies: When and Why Ambivalent Relationships Lead to Helping and Harming

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Melwani, Shimul; Rothman, Naomi B.
• 署名单位: University of North Carolina; University of North Carolina Chapel Hill; University of North Carolina School of Medicine; Lehigh University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0021-9010
• DOI: 10.1037/apl0000811
• 发表日期: 2022
• 页码: 707-723
• 关键词: Relationships; AMBIVALENCE; CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIORS; emotions; social exchange

摘要

We integrated theories of social exchange and emotional ambivalence to explain how ambivalent relationships influence interpersonally directed helping and harming behaviors. Using multiple methodologies, including a study of student teams, an experiment, and a quasifield study of retail employees, we compared ambivalent relationships with positive and negative relationships. Our three studies provide convergent evidence that ambivalent relationships with coworkers are positively related to both helping and harming behaviors. These dueling effects were mediated by the experience of ambivalent emotions. We also demonstrate that ambivalent emotions, and their downstream behavioral effects were amplified when individuals in ambivalent relationships had strong affiliative interpersonal goals. Overall, our findings have implications for theory on the relational antecedents of helping and harming, social exchange theory, and the effects of ambivalence in organizations.