Employee-Employer Exchange in the Romanian Cultural Context

• Author: Buzea, C. - Mesesan-Schmitz, L.
• Position: Faculty of Sociology and Communication, Transilvania University of Brasov
• Pages: 103-110

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov

Series VII: Social Sciences • Law • Vol. 6 (56) No. 2 - 2013

EMPLOYEE-EMPLOYER EXCHANGE IN

THE ROMANIAN CULTURAL CONTEXT

C. BUZEA1 L. MESEŞAN SCHMITZ1

Abstract: The paper reports a study conducted with Romanian

employees (N = 319) designed to identify the perception on inputs and

outcomes, as defined by equity theory. The results showed that Romanian

employees consider that personal features as correctness and seriousness

or taking responsibility are the most important contributions for which is

expected a just reward. Job security, respecting employee rights and

appreciation of direct supervisor are the main rewards expected in return

for contributions. Practical implications of the findings, along with

limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Key words: equity theory, inputs, outcomes, employee-employer

exchange, Romania.

1 Faculty of Sociology and Communication, Transilvania University of Braşov.

1. Introduction

J. S. Adams’ equity theory [1], [2] was

considered soon after its

publication “among the most useful

middle-range theories of organizational

behavior” [21], nowadays scholars

reaffirming its importance and practical

usefulness for organizational behavior

and general management fields [17]. The

theory is focused on employee-employer

exchange, stating that individuals

evaluate the ratio between their

contributions (inputs) and rewards

(outcomes), compared with the input-

outcome ratio of a referent person or

group (referent other). If inequality

occurs, employees are motivated to apply

various strategies (reactions to inequity)

in order to have a fair exchange with

their employer. Equity theory has been

generated an impressive amount of

research (reviews in [4], [11]) in which

scholars concluded that, although there

are some limitations, the basic

propositions of the theory are generally

well supported [11], [16].

Adams pointed out the cultural and

historical determination of inequity and

argued for the universality of the equity

principle [1]. The author assumed that

equity is a universal norm, which

characterizes the employee-employer

exchange relationship across cultures,

and only the terms of the exchange

(expressed by conceptualization of inputs

and outcomes) could register various

definitions in different cultural contexts.

Scholars from distributive justice field

questioned the universality of the equity

norm, showing that other norms, as

equality or need, might be preferred in

non-Western cultures (reviews on

distributive justice in [11], [16], [20]).