Doctoral Dissertation Research: Reciprocity and Perceived Sincerity in Organizational Workgroups

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SES-1030528Michael MacyMatthew HoffbergCornell UniversityThe research challenges the behavioral assumptions on which predominant explanations of direct reciprocity are based. By addressing the human ability to differentiate between behavior and intentions, this study investigates how one's willingness to reciprocate helping (or "prosocial") behavior may be moderated by the perception that the helping behavior was sincere ? that is, motivated by altruistic intentions. This perception, in turn, is hypothesized to depend on two factors exogenous to the helping behavior itself or to the actor who is helping: the prosocial values of the recipient as well as the normative environment, specifically the degree of collectivism, in which the behavior occurs. In contrast to previous research on prosociality conducted in the lab, original survey and interview data will be collected from a cross-national sample of a multinational technology organization to test the project's hypotheses. Broader Impacts. Results from this study should be of interest to academic scholars in sociology, management, and psychology, as well as practitioners in the management and organizations field. In challenging the view that actions matter, not intentions, this study introduces a uniquely sociological perspective to the literature on reciprocity by positing how contextual factors have tangible consequences for cooperation. The study also suggests a counter-intuitive property of collectivist workgroups: while collectivism may indeed promote prosocial behavior, it may also undermine reciprocity by affecting how prosocial behavior is perceived. The practical implication for organizations is that screening job candidates for altruistic social preferences may be more effective for improving workgroup productivity than relying on collectivist norms for prosocial behavior.