An Identification Based Framework Examining How and When Salient Social Exchange Resources Facilitate and Shape Thriving at Work

Abstract

Drawing upon social exchange and social identity theories, this study proposes a model to explain how resources produced from salient social exchanges at work influence employee thriving. To advance the literature and provide a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between social exchange resources and thriving at work, we examined resources produced from exchanges with two salient groups: supervisors and coworkers. We propose that leader–member exchange (LMX) and coworker helping and support relate to employee thriving at work through organizational identification and coworker relational identification, respectively. We also suggest that LMX and coworker helping and support moderate the influence of thriving on three facets of employee performance: task performance, organizational citizenship behavior, and workplace deviance. Our work extends existing theory on relational resources and thriving at work by showing the mechanisms through which LMX and coworker helping and support relate to thriving, and how they enhance or inhibit the relationships between thriving and work-related outcomes.