Effects of helper sex, recipient attractiveness, and recipient femininity on helping behavior in organizations

The Psychological Benefits of Receiving Real-Life Altruism

This study investigates the impact of receiving real-life altruism on such positive attitudinal aspects as empathy, optimism, and motivation to help others. A mixed convenience/snowball sample of 148 participants (79 men, 67 women, 2 gender unknown), responded to an online questionnaire. Most were between 21 and 40 years of age, and had at least a college degree; all but eight were born in Venezuela, and the remainder were from other Hispanic/Latino countries. Participants were asked to describe an experience in which they had received unexpected altruism and rate its impact on their subsequent view of life. They were also asked to rate its effect on their optimism about human nature, trust in social relationships, appreciation for life, sense of gratitude, self-esteem, sense of being valued by others, empathy for others, motivation to help others, energy and enthusiasm in general, and religious faith. A total of 64.2% reported an unexpected altruistic experience. Of those, almost 75% reported the experience changed their view of life at least “strongly” and only 4.2% stated that it had little or no effect. The intensity of their change in life view correlated significantly with all 10 dependent variables except for gratitude. Women were significantly more likely to report that their experience boosted their gratitude for others, and participants whose altruistic experiences were attitudinally more life-changing were significantly more likely to indicate that religion was very important to them. The implications of these findings for understanding the psychological benefits of altruistic experience are discussed and avenues for future research are suggested.

A theoretical analysis of immigrant employees’ organizational citizenship behaviors in organizations

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical model describing how immigrant employees’ organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) are influenced by their immigrant status. Additionally, this study attempts to explore the mediating role of perceived job mobility as well as the moderating role of organizational tenure in the relationship between immigrant status and OCBs.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual analysis was performed.

Findings

Drawing upon social identity, self-categorization, and impression management theories, this study proposes the following. First, an immigrant employee’s perceived different categorization of employment and organizational status will have a negative impact on his or her challenge-oriented OCB. Second, an immigrant employee’s perceived categorization of employment and organizational status will have a positive impact on his or her affiliation-oriented OCB. Third, perceived job mobility mediates the relationship between the perceived different categorization of employment and organizational status and challenge- and affiliation-oriented OCBs of an immigrant employee. Finally, an immigrant employee’s organizational tenure weakens (or strengthens) the negative (or positive) impact of immigrant status on challenge-oriented (or affiliation-oriented) OCB.

Originality/value

From a theoretical standpoint, this study provides a novel theoretical base that guides future research on immigrant employees’ OCBs in organizations. More importantly, this study offers recommendations that help maximize the effectiveness of immigrant employee’s OCBs.

What happens when “younger” helpers meet “older” recipients? A theoretical analysis of interpersonal helping behaviour in Chinese organizations

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical model describing psychological states and behavioral outcomes experienced and exhibited by older generation interpersonal helping behavior (IHB) recipients in Chinese organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper draws upon relevant literature and develops a theoretical model.

Findings

– The analysis suggests that the extent of IHB that older generation Chinese employees receive from younger generation employees will lead to loss of mianzi, which will then result in reduced perceived generational guanxi, increased intended social isolation, and reduced intention to share task-related knowledge with the younger generation employees. The paper also proposes that perceived generational guanxi and intended social isolation will mediate the relationship between loss of mianzi and intention to share task-related knowledge with younger generation employees.

Practical implications

– Because mianzi is an important cultural feature in Chinese societies, this paper provides four implications. First, younger generation employees could preserve and/or enhance older generation employees’ mianzi using less powerful messages. Second, younger generation employees should initiate task behaviors involving seeking opinions and expertise from older generation employees before exhibiting IHB. Third, mangers could reduce the negative impact of generational differences by establishing generational mentoring relationships between younger and older generation employees. Finally, younger generation employees could preserve and/or enhance older generation employees’ mianzi by playing the role of an informal subordinate rather than a problem solver when exhibiting IHB.

Originality/value

– This paper is the first study exploring consequences of IHB from the perceptive of older generation IHB recipients in the Chinese context.