Idiosyncratic deals in contemporary organizations: A qualitative and meta‐analytical review

Abstract

SummaryIdiosyncratic deals (i-deals) research focuses on the emergence of customized work arrangements employees negotiate with their employers. This article provides a critical review and synthesis of i-deals research, combining a qualitative review of i-deals theory and research with a supplementary meta-analysis of 23 empirical studies (k = 27 samples, N = 8110 individuals). The qualitative review examines the conceptualization and measurement of i-deals and identifies patterns and gaps in i-deals research, while the quantitative metaanalysis tests the moderating effect of societal cultures on the predictors and consequences of ideals investigated to date. In each section, attention is given to strengths and weaknesses of current approaches to i-deals theory and research. Future research directions are identified with particular emphasis on the largely unexamined role of i-deals from a multilevel perspective.

Work Design Influences: A Synthesis of Multilevel Factors that Affect the Design of Jobs

“…Indeed, the term 'work design' has increasingly been used instead of 'job design' to signal that work design not only includes assigned tasks and responsibilities, but also activit ies that social exchange theory, employees can also negotiate idiosyncratic deals (i-deals) with their supervisor or manager about their employment and working conditions (e.g., new tasks, flexible hours) and which benefit both employee and employer (Liao, Wayne, & Rousseau, 2016). Thus, employees engage in various agentic actions to shape their own work designs.…”

“…Job crafting, one of the most popular behaviors currently being studied as a form of 'bottom up' work design, is the process through which employees change the task-related or social boundaries of their job so as to increase work meaning or decrease its stressful aspects (Tims, Bakker, & Derks, 2013;Wrzesniewski & Dutton, 2001). Following the principles of social exchange theory, employees can also negotiate idiosyncratic deals (i-deals) with their supervisor or manager about their employment and working conditions (e.g., new tasks, flexible hours) and which benefit both employee and employer (Liao, Wayne, & Rousseau, 2016). Thus, employees engage in various agentic actions to shape their own work designs.…”

“…Alternative perspectives on the above finding suggest that leadership might have its effects because considerate and sociable leaders welcome the negotiation of i -deals (Liao et al, 2016), or -as argued by the social information processing theory (Salancik & Pfeffer, 1978) -perhaps leaders do not change the objective work design of employees, but only the way employees perceive their jobs. For instance, leaders might increase perceptions of meaning in the job by providing a compelling vision (Bass, 1985;Arnold, Turner, Barling, Kelloway, & McKee, 2007).…”

“…As discussed, employee-led work design processes appear to be especially applicable to job resources such as job autonomy, which have been characterized as 'alterables' that are easier to change (Hakanen et al, 2006;Tims, et al, 2013), but less applicable to the demanding aspects of work design that derive from higherlevel pressures (Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002), which have been labeled as 'givens' (Cooley & Yovanoff, 1996). Thus, encouraging bottom up forms of work redesign to enhance the quality of work, such as by training individuals in job crafting (Grant & Parker, 2009) and encouraging the negotiation of i-deals (Liao et al, 2016) might have positive effects; but these effects might nevertheless be limited to some work characteristics and indeed some contexts.…”

Workplace Flexibility across the Lifespan

“…Accordingly, research on informal agreements between employee and organization has increased substantially over the years (Liao, Wayne, & Rousseau, 2015;Rousseau, 2005).…”