ABSTRACT
Organizations have always been social in nature. However, there have been significant changes over the past several decades in how organizations are structured. These changes, in turn, have generally served to increase the interconnectedness of jobs within organizations, reinforcing the social fabric of those organizations. Jobs that were once designated to a single individual in a highly compartmentalized manner now require frequent interaction among employees to enhance effectiveness (Comeau & Griffith, 2005; Ostroff, 1999). Organizations have also become more team focused, which further dictates an increase in interconnectivity between and among coworkers (Kozlowski & Bell, 2003; Lawler, Mohrman, & Ledford, 1995; Morgeson, DeRue, & Karam, 2010). This heightened level of interaction has led to the emergence of a growing body of research on coworker social exchanges. Following the lead of previous social interaction literature, research on coworker exchanges has investigated both positive and negative interactions. For the most part, however, this research has focused on the positive side, examining a variety of factors that can enhance the quality of relationships between coworkers (e.g., Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Paine, & Bachrach, 2000), as well as the many benefits that presumably result from these positive relationships (e.g., Humphrey, Nahrgang, & Morgeson, 2007).
