Perceived reciprocity, social support, and stress at work: The role of exchange and communal orientation.

Perceived reciprocity regarding support in relationships at work was examined among employees of a psychiatric hospital (Study 1) and in a study of employees of the Dutch National Railway Company (Study 2). Relationships with colleagues were more often perceived as reciprocal than relationships with superiors, and in relationships with superiors individuals more often fell overbenefited. Lack of reciprocity-being underbenefited or being overbenefited-was in general associated with negative affect, and these effects were independent of the effect of perceived job stress. In Study 2 it was also found that these effects were moderated by the individual-differences variables exchange orientation (the general expectation of immediate reciprocity) and communal orientation (a positive regard for the needs and feelings of others).