According to Bandura's social cognitive theory (1986), human action occurs in a system of reciprocal causation of interactions involving behavior, cognitions, and the environment. Reciprocal causation places particular emphasis on dyadic exchanges between individuals (Bandura, 1986). Despite the importance of dyadic interactions between helpers and helping recipients, a significant amount of research has considered either helpers or helping recipients (Spitzmuller et al., 2008). To date, not enough attention has been given to a dyadic perspective on helping organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) involving both helpers and recipients. Thus, to close this gap, the purpose of this dissertation is to draw on social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1986) and develop a model explicating a dyadic perspective on helping OCB. Specifically, I am interested in how helpers' helping motives lead to subsequent helping via two processes: the helper's affective state of pride and the recipients' affective state of gratitude. In addition, I investigate how helper pride and recipients gratitude predict subsequent helping by the helper. I utilize an experimental design to test my predictions using a dictator game that provides an objective measure of helping OCB. Taking a dyadic perspective on helping OCB provides a more complete picture of helping OCB by shedding light on the actions and reactions of both players: the helper and the recipient. In sum, a dyadic perspective on helping is noteworthy because it provides a platform for investigating unexplored and critical aspects of helping OCB processes.
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