Good Citizens in Poor-Quality Relationships: Idiosyncratic Deals as a Substitute for Relationship Quality

Idiosyncratic deals (“i-deals”) are special arrangements that individuals negotiate with their employers. This study investigates the link between i-deals and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). From the perspective of social exchange theory, the relationship between individuals' i-deals and OCB should depend on the quality of workplace relationships with their supervisors, colleagues, and organization. Measuring these respectively as leader-member exchange (LMX), team-member exchange (TMX), and perceived organizational support (POS), we tested hypotheses via data gathered from 231 supervisor-subordinate dyads nested in 53 work groups. Results reveal stronger positive relations between i-deals and OCB for employees with low rather than high LMX or TMX.