The basic purpose of exchange theory is to maximise benefits and minimise costs. Oct 01, 2011 social exchange and individual resources. The irony derives from the fact that homans was explicitly much less interested in norms since he was preoccupied with the subinstitutional level of analysis in his study of elementary social behavior. While social exchange theory is found in economics and psychology, it was first developed by the sociologist george homans, who wrote about it in a 1958 essay titled social behavior as exchange.
As a consequence, tests of the model, as well as its applications, tend to rely on an incompletely specified set of ideas. Apr 20, 2018 the genesis of social exchange theory goes back to 1958, when american sociologist george homans published an article entitled social behavior as exchange. Prior to participants opportunity to help a partner through their performance on a manual dexterity task, the conditions. A woman could be happy in her job, yet leave for a new position which offers even higher pay, better working conditions, or a more interesting assignment. This means that cost and reward comparisons drive human decisions and behavior. Costs and benefits of helping there are three major ways that helping is usually rewarded. Indeed, social exchange theory aims to explain what is not economic in social behavior. Later, sociologists peter blau and richard emerson further developed the theory. An employees trust in a supervisor is proposed to mediate the relationship between procedural fairness in the supervisors decision making and employee citizenship. Homans 1958 famous paper entitled social behavior as exchange laid the foundations of this orientation to the study of behavior. He subsequently expanded these ideas in social behavior. Oct, 2016 social exchange theory is one of the most prominent conceptual perspectives in management, as well as related fields like sociology and social psychology. The theory therefore places the focus predominantly on the relational context. As a result, social exchange theory cannot be thought of as a single theoretical model.
How social exchange theory applies to the workplace. This makes perfect sense, because we spend so much at our lives at our jobs. The most helpful and insightful way to understand the social exchange theory is to divide the currencies in terms of visibility, which well call layers. It is concerned with how society is based on a series of exchanges being carried out between two or more parties, with all parties involved receiving positive consequences from the transactional relationship. Social exchange theory was employed to predict instigative helping behavior as a function of 2 types of resources available to the recipient for reciprocation social and nonsocial. In fact, according to a recent study, its one of the most influential conceptual paradigms in organizational behavior. According to this theory, developed by sociologist george homans, people weigh the potential benefits and risks of social relationships. Social exchange theory iowa state university digital repository. Social exchange theory is one of the most prominent conceptual perspectives in management, as well as related fields like sociology and social psychology. Within this framework, social behavior is viewed primarily in terms of the pursuit of rewards and the avoidance of punishment and other forms of cost. As a consequence, testsofthemodel,aswellasitsapplications,tendtorelyonanincompletely specifiedsetofideas.
Understand the nature of evidence about the relative effectiveness of theorybased interventions. Gouldner, 1960 have been used to explain the relationship of perceived organizational support and leadermember exchange with employee attitudes and behavior. Social exchange theory in psychology verywell mind. At its most basic, social exchange theory may be viewed as providing an economic metaphor to social relationships. Exchange theory hamlin university of minnesota duluth. Parent and child now have similar personal interest in the relationship. Jan 14, 2020 while social exchange theory is found in economics and psychology, it was first developed by the sociologist george homans, who wrote about it in a 1958 essay titled social behavior as exchange. Cl,r, doesnt speak to the issue of attraction or satisfaction. Over the years, differing perspectives on social exchange have evolved, bridging disciples such as anthropology, sociology, organizational theory, and social psychology. Costs can be anything whether time, effort or money. Social cognitive theory, and the social ecological model. Social exchange theory 55 issue of distributive justice in social exchange relations. Monetary nonmonetary time, effort, energy, embarrassment, fear exit hardships abandoning current behavior entry sacrifices adoppgting new behavior.
Identify the most important considerations in choosing the right theory to address a health behavior problem in a particular population and context. Social exchange theory concept, examples, variables involved. Jul 06, 2017 definition social exchange theory is a social psychological and sociological perspective that explains social change and stability as a process of negotiated exchanges between parties. Social exchange theory is a sociological and psychological theory that studies the social behavior in the interaction of two parties that implement a costbenefit analysis to determine risks and benefits. Social exchange theory is also applicable to the workplace. George homans, john thibaut, harold kelley, and peter blau. Nov 30, 2017 this article develops and empirically examines a social exchange model of organizational citizenship behavior. If i emphasize envy as a pure concept representing a basic problem, i am not claiming that this concept, or the theory of the role of envy, explains everything in human life, in society, or in cultural history. Social exchange and sexual behavior in young womens. In 1961, he amplified his argument in social behavior. The social exchange theory starts with the premise that humans interact in social behavior in order to maximize benefits and minimize costs.
It represents the interdependent social function and the asymmetric control of resources and results in the context of a particular situation and social relations 4. Background social exchange theory was introduced in 1958 by the sociologist george homans with the publication of his work social behavior as exchange. Social exchange theory an overview sciencedirect topics. According to this theory, people weigh the potential benefits and risks of social relationships. It is the study of human behavior according to the situations. Social exchange theory is a model of human behavior that has been developed to explain the processes by which people make relationships and maintain them. Social marketing presentation office of sustainability. The social exchange theory attributes a selfish motive to all actions, by assuming that all decisions are taken rationally. In sociology, social exchange theory is a very major theoretical perspective social exchange theory is a twosided process. Social exchange theory is a theory of both psychology and economics. Social exchange theory views interactions between individuals as an exchange of goods and services that is carried out in pursuit of individual goals homans, 1958. Despite its usefulness, theoretical ambiguities within set remain. Social exchange theory is a major theoretical perspective in sociology. A unifying framework from sociology, psychology and economics with which to analyze and understand social dynamics.
The theory of social exchange views human interactions and exchanges as a kind of resultsdriven social behavior. Behaviorism focuses on learning and the way in which behavior is shaped by its antecedent conditions and consequences. Feb, 20 exchange theory proposes that social behavior is the result of an exchange process. Citizenship behavior and social exchange academy of. Social exchange theory has its origins in the field of sociology in the work of george c. Social relationship perspective according to social exchange theory, power is a concept that can reflect social concept.
He defined social exchange as the exchange of activity, tangible or intangible and more or less rewarding or costly, between at least two people. There are various basic concepts of this theory are as follows. Also, the theory involves economic relationships, it occurs when each party have goods that the other parties value. Social exchange theory is one of the most influential conceptual paradigms for understanding behavior. Explanation of social behavior as exchange has its basis in the behavioral sciences sociology, psychology, anthropology, and economics.
Social exchange and female resource theory social exchange theory analyzes interactions between two parties by examining the costs and benefits to each. When the risks outweigh the rewards, people will terminate or abandon that relationship. Social exchange theory neither takes a utilitarian view of homo economicus nor does it assume risk. In examining social behavior as exchange, homans 1961 drew upon behaviorism to explain human behavior as comparable. Social exchange theory in social psychology iresearchnet. Social identity is the part of the self that is defined by ones group memberships. Social exchange theory basically explains the behavior of people while exchanging something. Data from 475 hospital employees and their supervisors were consistent with our model. This seems to me the paradigm of ele mentary social behavior, and the problem of the elementary sociologist is to state prop ositions relating the variations in the values. Social exchange theory varey major reference works.
Social exchange theory 3 social exchange theory is a broad conceptual paradigm that spans a number of social scientific disciplines, such as management, social psychology, and anthropology. The problem with concentrating on these specific works of homans and blau are that they result in a view of exchange theory as uniquely individualistic, totally ignoring. To consider social behavior as an exchange of goods may clarify the relations among four bodies of theory. It is proposed by social exchange theory that social behavior is the result of an exchange process. The purpose of this exchange is to maximize benefits and minimize costs. Despite its usefulness, theoretical ambiguities within. Homans devised a framework built on a combination of behaviorism and basic economics. If i emphasize envy as a pure concept representing a basic problem, i am not claiming that this concept, or the theory of the role of envy, explains everything in human life, in. History of the theory social exchange theory was developed in the year 1958, by the sociologist george homans. Social exchange theory is a viable theoretical framework to examine rela.
It postulates that people seek out partners and relationships where the value exchanged is in balance. Nov 01, 2017 social exchange theory basically explains the behavior of people while exchanging something. After homans developed the theory, two other theorists. Homans in social behavior as exchange 1958 made a conscious effort to identify and advance this point of view. These mixed motives, evident in social exchange theory, align with the intrinsic and extrinsic in. So, according to social exchange theory, the first scenario is more likely to produce prosocial behavior. There are countless currencies that people exchange in the interpersonal marketplace.
The social exchange theory has been applied to many different situations. This theory is based on the assumption that people only act individually, and ignore group decisions. Interestingly, in his early writings, homans, never uses the phrase social exchange theory. Definition social exchange theory is a social psychological and sociological perspective that explains social change and stability as a process of negotiated exchanges between parties. The basic premise of this theory is that how people feel about a given interaction or relationship depends fundamentally on the outcomes that they perceive to be associated with it. Everyone has hit the wall at one point or another and. Understanding the social exchange theory with realworld. Social exchange theory was employed to predict instigative helping behavior as a function of 2 types of resources available to the recipient for reciprocation social and non social. We can thus predict whether a particular interaction will be repeated by calculating the degree of reward approval or punishment disapproval resulting from the interaction. Social exchange theory is a broad social psychological perspective that attempts to explain how human social relationships are formed, maintained, and terminated.
As he emits behavior, each man may incur costs, and each man has more than one course of behavior open to him. According to social exchange theory, people evaluate their relationships by analyzing the benefits they. In rejecting mentalistic constructs such as mind, consciousness, and other internal processes, behaviorism stresses the importance of studying observable behavior rather than phenomena that cannot be empirically verified. Central to the social exchange theory is the idea that an interaction that elicits approval from another person is more likely to be repeated than an interaction that elicits disapproval. This article develops and empirically examines a social exchange model of organizational citizenship behavior.
The fundamental concept of the theory of social exchange is cost and rewards. Theories and models for social marketing abound, with little formal consensus on which types of models for what types of social problems in what kinds of situations are most appropriate. This was too bad, not only because the theory is not limited to social behavior that looks like. The terms of the exchange reflect the relative power of each partner. According to social exchange theory, people evaluate their relationships by analyzing the benefits they feel they might receive through them. Exchange theory proposes that social behavior is the result of an exchange process. Why give exploring social exchange and organization. It can be anything whether the sense of acceptance. Scholars who apply social exchange theory are able to explain many social phenomena in manner but are. Social behavior as exchange american journal of sociology. Social exchange theory set is one the most influential conceptual paradigms in organizational behavior. In defining what social marketing is, many authors include the notion of exchange theory to link it to its marketing roots e. Social exchange theory power point behavioural sciences.
Social exchange theory suggests that these calculations occur in romantic. Exchange theory benefits of adoppgting new behavior outweighs costs. The theory also specifies the ways in which social identity can influence intergroup. From a social exchange perspective, then, human behavior may be.
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