Management Review ›› 2024, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (9): 162-171.

• Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management • Previous Articles    

Finding Meaning in Relationships: A Study on the Mechanism of How High-Quality Relationships Affect Proactive Behavior and Creative Collaboration

Xu Shuhui1,2, Zhang Haomin3, Dai Yi4, Ma Jun3, Lyu Ledi3   

  1. 1. School of Business Administration, Ningbo University of Finance & Economics, Ningbo 315175;
    2. Postdoctoral Station of Business Administration, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433;
    3. School of Management, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444;
    4. Business School, Shanghai Dianji University, Shanghai 201306
  • Received:2021-06-24 Published:2024-10-10

Abstract: Proactive behavior and creative collaboration have been highly valued by scholars, but the important value of high-quality relationships for proactive behavior and creative collaboration has been ignored in previous researches. Based on the theory of meaning construction and the theory of social exchange, the mechanism of how high-quality relationships influence proactive behavior and creative collaboration and its boundary conditions are analyzed. The research finds that: (1) High-quality relationships positively affect employees’ proactive behavior and creative collaboration; (2) Meaningfulness of work plays a part of the mediating role between high-quality relationships and proactive behavior & creative collaboration; (3) Positive reciprocity beliefs play a moderating role between high-quality relationships and work meaning; (4) Positive and reciprocal beliefs positively regulate the mediating role of meaningfulness of work between high-quality relationships and proactive behavior & creative collaboration. The above research conclusions provide valuable reference and inspiration on how to improve the significance of employees’ work and promote their positive behaviors.

Key words: high-quality relationships, positive reciprocity beliefs, meaningfulness of work, proactive behavior, creative collaboration