Fostering cooperation on the Internet: social exchange processes in ...

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However, models of exchange differ considerably in their view about what is exchanged betweentwo parties and how exchange is influence by various endogenous and exogenous factors. The‘economic model’ assumes that things are exchanged for their economic or utilitarian value,whereas according to the ‘social model’ exchange takes place on the basis of the symbolic valueattached to things (Ekeh, 1974).Both views assume that individuals engage in exchange to achieve certain important goalsthat are extrinsic to the behavior they engage in. Extrinsic or instrumental rewards are amotivation source when individuals believe that behavior will lead to certain valued outcomes,utilitarian and/or symbolic. Social interaction is viewed as an exchange of mutually rewardingactivities in which the receipt of a needed valuable is contingent on the supply of a favor inreturn. Expectations of reciprocity are based on the rational grounds that individuals evaluate theinput/output ratio of a certain behavior in relation to a referent other. Equity theory (Walster etal., 1978) assumes that people tend to balance this ratio simply by returning appropriateutilitarian and social rewards for the benefits gained. Whereas most economic transactions aresimultaneous exchanges individuals, within the social model, rely on and trust each other forfuture favors. This creates a ‘general social indebtedness’ that forms the basis of a community(Haas and Deseran, 1981). According to this view sustainable social exchange depends onwhether this system of exchange can be kept in balance in general, over time, and across peoplerather than on an immediate, one-to-one basis.Organizational theorists agree that people not only apply equity rules but use a variety ofprinciples and values as the basis for exchange (Kabanoff, 1991). Equity, equality or other rules,such as the need principle are called on, depending on the nature of the social context or thesocial interdependence that is involved. Deutsch (1985) found that in task-directed relationshipspeople tend to adopt distributive principles of equity according to the potential to contribute and8
the actual contribution of individuals. In relations in which the fostering of enjoyable socialrelations is the common goal, equality tends to be the dominating principle. Equality signifiesthat the different members of a relationship have equal value as individuals, independent of theirpotential or actual input. The orientation of relationship as its own goal is non-instrumentalbecause the source of actions is based on a person's sense of his or her relationship with the otherperson, rather than on a judgment of that person's contribution. It has been argued that equityemphasizes productivity, whereas equality emphasizes solidarity and long-term relationships(Kabanoff, 1991).Relationship marketing radically departed from the economic transaction view to theconcept of relational exchange, which reflects an ongoing process (Morgan and Hunt, 1994).Emphasis is put on long-term relationships between partners and therefore, especially on thecontents and processes of exchange that maintain mutually beneficial relationships.Corresponding values are important moderators for solidarity and loyalty in relationships(Anderson et al, 1999). Social exchange is not primarily based on expectations of immediate andclearly specified rewards but rather on unspecific and general hope for social approval. “Mostpeople like helping others and doing a favor. Favors make us grateful and our expressions ofgratitude are social rewards that tend to make doing favors enjoyable. We tend to reciprocate aswe are grateful and feel obligated.” (Blau 1964, p.16). One way that groups and society regulatereciprocation is through the establishment of social norms. Descriptive norms specify what mostpeople do in a particular situation whereas injunctive norms indicate what ought to or should bedone (Cialdini et al., 1990; 1991). Violating injunctive norms makes us feel guilty or creates afeeling of indebtedness, thus we feel obliged to behave according to the group’s rules ofexchange (Olsen, 1978). This is what Etzioni (1975) refers to as moral involvement which is theresult of internalization of social norms or culturally-based convictions (Durkheim, 1973). In9
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Page 11 and 12: elationship. A perfect gift is unco
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Page 31 and 32: Ekeh, Peter P. (1974). Social Excha
Page 33: Rheingold, Howard (2000). The Virtu

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