The role of social bonds in understanding the pre- and post-recognition effects of recognition visibility

Burke, Joseph

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/102806 Copy

Description

Title

The role of social bonds in understanding the pre- and post-recognition effects of recognition visibility

Author(s)

Burke, Joseph

Issue Date

2018-11-29

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Chen, Clara

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Hecht, Gary

Committee Member(s)

• Mehta, Ravi
• Wang, Laura
• Williamson, Michael

Department of Study

Accountancy

Discipline

Accountancy

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• Accounting
• social bonds
• recognition
• employee recognition
• public recognition

Abstract

Although firms extensively use public recognition for high-performing employees, prior academic studies do not find beneficial effects of public recognition (versus private) on employee behavior. I utilize a laboratory experiment to investigate this apparent disconnect by investigating the strength of employee social bonds, and how it moderates the effect of recognition visibility on employees’ pre- and post-recognition behavior. Consistent with prior studies, I find that when weak social bonds exist, public recognition does not result in more beneficial employee behavior than from private recognition. However, when strong social bonds exist, public recognition (versus private) results in greater employee effort to achieve recognition and a more positive response to recognition. Overall, this study offers a potential explanation for the extensive use of public recognition in practice and has implications for the implementation of employee recognition programs – suggesting managers should consider the state of employee relationships before deciding how and where to recognize their employees.

Graduation Semester

2018-12

Type of Resource

text

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/102806

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2018 Joseph Burke

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