The Ties That Drive Us: The Motivational Potential of Close Relationships at Work

Abstract

Organizations are inherently social contexts. As such, they provide opportunities for individuals within those organizations to forge close peer relationships. Though some scholarly research explores the ways in which relationship features influence positive outcomes, this research has largely explored relationships across hierarchies (e.g. leader-member exchange, mentorship), or has viewed relationship features as a moderator of other important outcomes (e.g. the effect of trust on coordination, information sharing or learning activities). Little management research examines the way peer relationships in organizational settings contribute directly to employee motivation. This dissertation argues for the focused examination of the effect of peer relationship closeness on employee motivation. I present theory and empirical evidence suggesting that the psychological experience associated with close peer relationships at work can lead directly to motivated behavior-that peer relationships can fuel organizationally beneficial behavior at work. Further, and perhaps of equal importance, I argue and show that relationships do not form in a vacuum; the organizational context-the systems, structures, tools, policies and practices inherent in organizational settings-have a marked influence on the nature of employee relationships.