The purpose of this paper is to understand how perceptions of fair treatment impact voluntary behaviors of information technology (IT) professionals beneficial to the achievement of organizational goals. Specifically, social exchange and psychological contract theory provide a framework to consider whether equitable treatment of employees and preservation of implied contracts are indicators of beneficial, extra‐role behaviors.
The study employs a questionnaire targeting IT professionals to test a model derived from theory and prior IT personnel literature.
IT employees reciprocate demonstrations of equity and maintenance of implied contracts by added beneficial behaviors not explicit to their job requirements. This relationship is partially mediated by their trust held in the organization.
This study considered two related but distinct social exchange concepts in the same model of IT personnel behavior that had previously been considered independently indicating the need to consider both in future models. Generalizations of the observed result are limited by the use of cross‐sectional data from a single culture.
Managers of IT personnel must design and implement procedures that guarantee equitable distribution of resources and rewards. Management honoring contacts that are merely implicit and derived internally by the IT employee is crucial in promoting beneficial behaviors that fall outside explicit job requirements.
The paper highlights how IT employees reciprocate in the technology work environment. In exchange for an organization honoring contracts that are merely perceived and providing an equitable structure, IT professionals are willing to go beyond required job descriptions to achieve goals.
