Idiosyncratic deal (I-deal) hassles : I-deal experiences that bring negative outcomes

Abstract

The literature on i-deal has argued that i-dealers (i.e., recipients of i-deals) are invariably better off after the receipt of i-deals. I challenge that consensus by introducing the construct of i-deal hassles–i-deal experiences that bring negative outcomes. I create a four-dimension taxonomy of i-deal hassles: content deficiency, work burden, social cost, and resource constraint. Drawing on affective events theory, I propose that two dispositional affect (trait positive affect and trait negative affect) predict four dimensions of i-deal hassles, and that i-deal hassles promotes disappointment, which reduces task performance and organizational citizenship behaviors toward individuals and the organizations. Field data collected from 207 employees rated by 67 supervisors across 4 waves over 6 weeks (Study 1) and scenario experimental data collected from 800 subjects (Study 2) largely supported the hypothesized model. I observed that i-dealers did experience four types of i-deal hassles: content deficiency, work burden, social cost, and resource constraint. Findings from two studies provided evidence that content deficiency and resource constraint were the most salient i-deal hassles and demonstrated a dispositional affect  i-deal hassles  disappointment  performances sequence. Trait positive affect decreased, whereas trait negative affect increased content deficiency, social cost, and resource constraint. Content deficiency and resource constraint resulted in disappointment, which was in turn related negatively to task performance and organizational citizenship behavior toward individuals and the organizations. I discuss the theoretical and practical implications of the findings and offer directions for future research.