Breach and willingness to support the organization : An attribution and social exchange perspective

Purpose This study aims to integrate the attribution theory into the traditional social exchange view of the breach-outcome relationship. Perceived disinterested support (PDS), perceived organizational support (POS) and job satisfaction are included as serial mediators of the relationship between breach and willingness to support the organization. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through a field study in which 579 employees took part. Findings The results indicated partial mediation of the examined relationship. More specifically, POS and PDS (through POS) were found to mediate the breach-willingness to support the organization relationship. Job satisfaction contributed weakly to the explanation of the examined relationship. Research limitations/implications The cross-sectional nature of the study limits the ability to claim causality. Practical implications Managers should be aware of how employees interpret breach in terms of organizational motives. Interpreting breach as a lack of disinterest on the part of the organization can spark social exchange processes leading to lower willingness to support the organization. Originality/value The study makes a unique contribution to the literature by being the first to examine PDS as a mediator of the breach-outcome relationship.