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Abstract
We examine temporary workers’ differential extra-role behaviors (ERBs) towards their client and employer; if this varied with the motivation of the worker for being temporary, whether these ERBs are affected by firms’ relationship management practices; and whether the ERBs aimed at the client and the employer impact subsequent outcomes. Results showed that temporary workers’ motivations are differentially related to agency and client directed ERBs. Agency ERBs were related to longer tenure with the agency, while client ERBs were associated with faster wage growth and more hours worked per week. Organizational relationship management practices elicit different client and agency directed ERBs.
Acknowledgements
We thank George Benson, Margaret Ormiston, and Alice Mark for excellent research assistance. All errors are our own.
Notes
An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 2004 Academy of Management meetings.
1. We focus on extra-role rather than in-role behaviors because temporary employees have less discretion over their in-role behaviors. During the process that places temporary employees on assignment with the clients of the temporary agency, the agency acts as a take-it-or-leave it matchmaker, looking for the temporary employee who both has the skills to take the assignment and the desire to do so. Temporary employees who accept assignments and subsequently exhibit anything less than high in-role behaviors run the risk of losing that job and not receiving future assignments from the agency. On the other hand, extra-role behaviors are more discretionary than are in-role behaviors (Organ Citation1988), and represent employees’ attitudes and motivations towards their organization and its members.