P A R T

I
INTRODUCTION

LEA—THE TYPE HOUSE—EXPLORING POSITIVE RELATIONS AT WORK (DUTTON/RAGINS)

 C H A P T E R

1
Positive Relationships at Work:
An Introduction and Invitation

Belle Rose Ragins

Jane E. Dutton

What makes life worth living? For most people, the answer is relationships:
friends, family, and loved ones. Too often, work relationships are not in-
cluded in this list. Yet people spend most of their time at work, and work re-
lationships are central not only for how work gets done, but also for the
quality of our lives. Like other relationships, work relationships reflect the
full spectrum of quality. At their best, they can be a generative source of en-
richment, vitality, and learning that helps individuals, groups, and organiza-
tions grow, thrive, and flourish. At their worst, they can be a toxic and cor-
rosive source of pain, depletion, and dysfunction. Despite the criticality of
work relationships for individuals, groups, and organizations, organization-
al scholars have yet to understand the dynamics, mechanisms, and proc-
esses that generate, nourish, and sustain positive relationships at work.
This book is designed to put the field of positive relationships at work on
the research map by crafting a multidisciplinary volume that uncovers the
mechanisms and dynamics of positive work relationships. We envision pos-
itive relationships at work (PRW) as a rich new interdisciplinary domain of
inquiry that focuses on the generative processes, relational mechanisms,
and positive outcomes associated with positive relationships between peo-
ple at work. PRW examines the conditions, processes, and mechanisms in
organizational relationships that increase the capacity for growth, learning,
generativity, and resilience in individuals, groups, and organizations.
This introductory chapter starts by giving the reader a brief overview of
how positive relationships at work relates to the positive scholarship move-

3
4 RAGINS AND DUTTON

ment. We then examine why this book is needed and provide the reader
with the mission, vision, and objectives of the book. Next, we offer a founda-
tion for defining positive relationships at work based on a distillation of the
approaches used by the contributors to this volume. From there, we give
the reader a practical overview of the roadmap of the book. This is followed
by an appreciative summary of the book chapters that invites our readers
to explore this rich new research frontier.

POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK

AND THE POSITIVE SCHOLARSHIP MOVEMENT

As a new area of inquiry, the field of positive relationships at work builds

on the positive psychology (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000; Snyder &
Lopez, 2002), positive organizational (Cameron & Caza, 2004; Cameron,
Dutton, & Quinn, 2003), and positive organizational behavior (Luthans,
2002; Luthans & Youssef, 2004) scholarship movements by shifting the
lens from models that explain deficiencies to models that explain states of
abundance. These positive scholarship movements offer the observation
that by focusing on the problems, pathologies, and limitations associated
with the worst of conditions we fail to capture the processes, states, and
outcomes associated with the best of conditions. In a nutshell, we need to
shift our perspective from the shadow to the light, from “what is wrong”
to “what is right.”
The field of positive relationships at work applies this paradigm to work
relationships, and builds on the positive psychology view that relationships
are a central source of life satisfaction, enrichment, development, and per-
sonal growth for individuals (cf. Berscheid, 1999; Reis & Gable, 2003; Snyder
& Lopez, 2002). It also builds on a positive sociological lens (e.g., Baker,
Cross, & Wooten, 2003) that suggests that certain patterns of relationships
are more generative, enriching, and enhancing than others.
However, we envision PRW as offering organizational scholars more
than just a positive perspective on relationships in organizations. PRW
seeks to explain how relationships affect organizations through multiple
levels and mechanisms and therefore deepens our understanding of the
role of relationships in organizational life. Relationship science scholars ob-
serve that human behaviors do not occur in a vacuum, but take place
within the context of relationships (cf. Berscheid, 1999). PRW embraces
this perspective by viewing relationships as “front and center” in organi-
zational life. Under this view, relationships represent not only the essence
of meaning in people’s lives, but they also reside deep in the core of or-
1. POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK: AN INTRODUCTION 5

ganizational life; they are the means by which work is done and meaning
is found in organizations.

WHY THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR THIS BOOK

There are three key reasons why the time is right for a book on positive re-
lationships at work.

We Need to Build Bridges Across Silos of Scholarship

To date, our knowledge of positive work relationships has been obtained

through isolated pockets of theory and research that are scattered across
fields and disciplines. The idea of positive work relationships, for example, is
central in theories of social capital (Coleman, 1988), mentoring (Kram, 1985),
network theory (Burt, 1992), leader–member exchange (Graen & Scandura,
1987), trust (Kramer & Tyler, 1996), social support (Uchino, Cacioppo, &
Kiecolt-Glaser, 1996), learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991), and psychological
growth (Miller & Stiver, 1997). Although attention to this topic spans a broad
swath of literature, our understanding of positive relationships at work is lim-
ited by silos of scholarship that rarely speak across levels, dependent vari-
ables, or fields of inquiry. We need a platform that allows us to reflect the
richness of positive work relationships by weaving together threads from dif-
ferent disciplines, levels of analysis, and perspectives.

We Need to Put Relationships at the Foreground

of Organizational Studies

Relationships are central to the meaning and being of life. As Berscheid

(1999) so eloquently observed, “. . . relationships with other humans are
both the foundation and the theme of the human condition: We are born
into relationships, we live our lives in relationships with others, and when
we die, the effects of our relationships survive in the lives of the living, re-
verberating throughout the tissue of their relationships” (p. 261).
In spite of the centrality of relationships to our life experience, relation-
ships traditionally are placed in the background of organizational life (cf.
Gersick, Bartunek, & Dutton, 2000; Kahn, 1993, 1998, chap. 10, this volume).
This perspective not only ignores the significance of workplace relation-
ships but also takes a needlessly segmented view of people in the work-
place; that although relationships are central to employees’ lives they are
somehow able to turn off this need once they enter the workplace. In con-
trast, a holistic approach understands that relationships are central to life
6 RAGINS AND DUTTON

both within and outside the workplace, and that the need for authentic rela-
tionships is not left at the workplace door.

We Need to Extend Our Boundaries of Knowledge

About Relationships in Organizations

Our knowledge about relationships in organizations is limited in at least

three ways. First, the dominant theoretical paradigm that has been ap-
plied to the study of relationships, social exchange theory (e.g., Blau, 1964;
Homans, 1974), is limited in explaining processes in positive work relation-
ships. Social exchange theory views relationships as a means for exchang-
ing resources for the purpose of achieving utility or power. This perspec-
tive uses an economic model of social interactions and fails to address
communal norms evident in high-quality relationships (cf. Ragins & Verbos,
chap. 5, this volume). In addition, a social exchange perspective assumes
fixed resources and fails to acknowledge processes in positive work rela-
tionships that generate and create new resources (cf. Baker & Dutton, chap.
18, this volume), thus expanding “the pie” of individual and organizational
resources (cf. Rousseau & Ling, chap. 20, this volume).
Second, we have a limited understanding of how positive work relation-
ships interact with other aspects of social life within and outside organiza-
tions. Our research is often artificially constrained by organizational bound-
aries and we have failed to examine the effects of internal and external
communities on organizational relationships (cf. discussion by Blatt & Cam-
den, chap. 13, this volume; McGinn, chap. 14, this volume) and behaviors
(e.g., Ragins, in press). We have not considered the symbolic meaning of re-
lationships and how work relationships become institutionalized in organi-
zational contexts and cultures (cf. Glynn & Wrobel, chap. 17, this volume;
Golden-Biddle, GermAnn, Reay, & Procyshen, chap. 16,, this volume). We
have a limited understanding of relationship building and repair (cf. Pratt &
Dirks, chap. 6, this volume) and the effects of gender, diversity, and identity
on relationships in organizations (cf. Davidson & James, chap. 7, this vol-
ume; Fletcher, chap. 19, this volume; Roberts, chap. 2, this volume).
Third, our knowledge about relationships in organizations needs to be
expanded to take into account the changing landscape of work and careers.
Workplaces and work itself are increasingly interdependent, making con-
nection the norm and relationships the means by which work occurs. Sus-
tainable organizational performance and effective individual development
are therefore increasingly dependent on the quality of relationships be-
tween people at work. In addition, with the rise of the protean career (Ar-
thur & Rousseau, 1996; Hall, 1996), employees are tied less to organizations
and more to relationships that are developmental and growth enhancing
1. POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK: AN INTRODUCTION 7

(Ragins & Kram, in press). Consequently, loyalty and commitment to organ-

izations are grounded more on social and relational than economic bases.
Finally, as relationships take a more primary role in organizational life, we
need to be able to transform relationships from states of just “getting by”
and surviving to states of thriving (cf. Harvey & Pauwels, 2003; Spreitzer,
Sutcliffe, Dutton, Sonenshein, & Grant, 2005).

PURPOSE OF THE BOOK:

OUR MISSION AND VISION

The goal of this book is to put Positive Relationships at Work on the re-
search map. We do this by composing a volume that builds a solid founda-
tion for this promising new area of scholarly inquiry. Our vision is to offer a
multidisciplinary exploration of how relationships at work become a source
of growth, vitality, learning, and generative states of human and collective
flourishing.
To pursue this expansive adventure we knew we had to approach this
topic from multiple levels: individual, dyadic, group, organizational, and
community. Each level offers critical and useful insights into the dynamic
and generative processes underlying positive relationships in organiza-
tions.
Although a multilevel perspective is vital for offering a comprehensive
view of positive work relationships, we also recognize the need to weave
the threads from different levels together so that we can offer readers a the-
oretical tapestry that reflects the dynamic richness of positive relationships
in the workplace. Our goal is to give our readers an invitation to engage in a
new multidisciplinary area of research, but also provide a broad perspec-
tive that allows us to build insights across levels of analysis.
Last, we want to breathe new life into established areas of scholarship by
applying a PRW lens to established areas of organizational research. We
want to inspire future scholars by offering a research agenda that links estab-
lished areas with the promising new field of positive relationships at work.
With these visions in mind, this volume is designed to meet three key ob-
jectives:

1. To establish Positive Relationships at Work as a new interdisciplinary,

multilevel domain of inquiry.
2. To facilitate the application of a Positive Relationships at Work per-
spective to new and established areas of organizational behavior, or-
ganizational theory, and organizational strategy.
8 RAGINS AND DUTTON

3. To offer an engaging invitation and multilevel map for guiding future re-
search on positive relationships at work.

We selected a stellar group of multidisciplinary scholars and invited

them to apply their knowledge, insight, and expertise toward creating a vol-
ume that achieves these ambitious objectives. In the fall of 2004 these schol-
ars, who represent such fields as interpersonal relationships, interpersonal
communication, organizational strategy, organizational theory, organiza-
tional behavior, and a variety of psychological disciplines (industrial-
organizational, clinical, community, and social psychology), came to Ann
Arbor, Michigan, to participate in a book-building conference. Our goal was
to generate a new field of research on positive relationships at work by
crafting a foundation-setting book. These vanguard scholars took this task
to heart, and the result is a collection of thought-provoking chapters that
define the emerging research domain of positive relationships at work.
Our first challenge was to define PRW. Let us now turn to an overview of
the key aspects of this construct.

DEFINING POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK

For years, interpersonal relationship scholars have struggled to define

what precisely constitutes a positive relationship (cf. Berscheid, 1994, 1999;
Duck, 1994; Reis & Gable, 2003). We soon discovered a similar challenge in
defining positive relationships at work. Like other positive relationships (cf.
Berscheid & Reis, 1998; Miller & Stiver, 1997; Reis & Gable, 2003), positive
work relationships can be defined in terms of the states or processes in the
relationship, the experienced quality of the relationship, or the outcomes of
the relationship. We asked the authors in this volume to try to include their
definition or perspective on positive work relationships in organizations in
their chapters, and we quickly discovered that although there is some com-
mon ground, there is also significant diversity in the approach to this con-
struct. Perhaps there is no single “best” definition of PRW that reflects an
absolute consensus across levels and disciplines. Given that the field is in
its research infancy, we believe that an expansive approach that incorpo-
rates a full range of perspectives is appropriate and needed; an approach
that opens rather than closes doors to future research.
With these caveats in mind, we would like to offer readers a basic foun-
dation for defining positive relationships at work that reflects the common
ground discovered through building this book. We then offer a brief bird’s-
eye overview of how the contributors to this volume defined PRW with an
eye toward articulating some of the complexities in defining this construct.
1. POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK: AN INTRODUCTION 9

A Foundation for Defining Positive

Relationships at Work

Focus on Relationships. At its most basic level, positive relationships

at work are relationships between individuals that can occur at the dyadic,
group, community, and organizational level. Traditionally, relationships are
defined as a sequence of interactions between two people that involves
some degree of mutuality, in that the behavior of one member takes some
account of the behavior of the other (Hinde, 1979). Relationships are dy-
namic and fluid; present interactions are affected by past interactions and
may influence future interactions. Relationships do not reside in the indi-
vidual but are reoccurring interconnections that exist within the tissue or
oscillating rhythm of interactions between two people (Berscheid, 1999).
They are therefore invisible and are often discerned by observing the ef-
fects of the relationship.

Focus on the Organizational and Work Context. Positive relation-

ships at work are a type of relationship that exists within the context of or-
ganizations, work, and careers. Positive work relationships, which some of
our contributors used interchangeably with the term positive organizational
relationships, are connected to the organization in some way, but may be sit-
uated within or outside of organizational boundaries. They may include re-
lationships between individuals who work together in the same organiza-
tion as well as relationships that are focused on work and careers that
extend beyond the organization’s boundaries. Positive relationships at
work may therefore include developmental networks and mentoring rela-
tionships that span organizational boundaries, as well as relationships be-
tween individuals sharing a common profession, occupation or work com-
munity that is tied to the organization. Finally, positive relationships at
work are not restricted to face-to-face interactions; like other work relation-
ships, positive work relationships may be developed or sustained as virtual
or electronic relationships.

Focus on Positive. What distinguishes positive work relationships from

other work relationships is the notion of “positive.” Although the definition
of positive varies with different disciplines, lenses, and social construc-
tions, we offer the idea of positive work relationships as a reoccurring connec-
tion between two people that takes place within the context of work and careers
and is experienced as mutually beneficial, where beneficial is defined broadly
to include any kind of positive state, process, or outcome in the relationship.
This definition, however, just brushes the surface of positive relationships
at work. The contributors to this volume flesh out this basic definition and
10 RAGINS AND DUTTON

deepen our understanding of the nuances and facets of PRW. Let us now ex-
amine how our authors defined PRW with an eye toward identifying the
common ground and complexities in defining this construct.

Approaches to Defining Positive Relationships at Work

Positive Work Relationships as High-Quality Connections. Many of the

contributors to this volume (see Heaphy, chap. 3; Higgins, chap. 11; Quinn,
chap. 4; Baker & Dutton, chap. 18) define positive relationships at work as a
high-quality connection. According to Dutton and Heaphy (2003; see also
Dutton, 2003) high-quality connections (HQCs) involve short interactions or
long-term relationships that are marked by vitality, mutuality, and positive
regard. HQCs have three key features. First, HQCs have higher emotional
carrying capacity than other relationships and interactions. Emotional carry-
ing capacity reflects the expression of more emotions as well as a greater
range of positive and negative emotions in the relationship. Second, HQCs
have greater levels of tensility, which is the relationship’s ability to bend
and withstand strain in the face of challenges or setbacks. Finally, HQCs are
distinguished from other relationships and interactions by their capacity
for connectivity, which involves generativity and openness to new ideas and
influences, as well as the ability to deflect behaviors that terminate genera-
tive processes.

Experiences, Processes, and Outcomes. Other contributors offer com-

plementary perspectives by defining positive work relationships in terms of
the experience and processes of the relationship. Kahn (chap. 10, this vol-
ume) views positive work relationships as those that enable individuals to
personally engage in their work. He explains that positive work relation-
ships meet members’ relational needs and allow them to be authentic, pres-
ent, and intellectually and emotionally available at work. Roberts (chap. 2,
this volume) builds on this idea by defining positive work relationships as
involving a sense of relatedness and mutuality that creates the possibility for
greater self-discovery, heightened sense of self-efficacy, and identity en-
hancement. Quinn (chap. 4, this volume) points to the importance of energy
in positive work relationships and observes that although positive relation-
ships are more than energy, without energy there could not be positive re-
lationships. Pratt and Dirks (chap. 6, this volume) remind us that positive
work relationships offer support not only when times are good, but also in
the face of adversity. They define positive relationships in terms of relation-
ship resiliency and the capacity to build and repair trust. Duck (chap. 9, this
volume) points out that, like other interpersonal relationships, positive re-
lationships at work are socially constructed relationships, and that their dy-
namic natures make them fluid works in progress rather than static final
1. POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK: AN INTRODUCTION 11

states. Blatt and Camden (chap. 13, this volume) define positive relation-
ships in terms of positive connections that lead to feelings of inclusion, a felt
sense of being important to others, experienced mutual benefit, and shared
emotions. They contend that positive work relationships can occur in the
present and do not require a shared history or a future of interactions, al-
though other contributors disagree and hold that positive work relation-
ships require a history, a present, and an anticipated future (cf. Golden-
Biddle et al., chap. 16, this volume).
Some contributors offer guidelines for assessing whether a work rela-
tionship is positive. Applying Stone Center Relational Theory (Miller & Sti-
ver, 1997), Fletcher (chap. 19, this volume) defines positive work relation-
ships as ones in which mutual growth-in-connection has occurred, and offers
specific evaluative criteria for assessing this state. In particular, relation-
ships are positive when both members experience the “five good things” of
zest, empowered action, increased sense of worth, new knowledge and the
desire for more connection. Grounded more in organizational settings,
Greenberg (chap. 8, this volume) defines positive work relationships as
both involving and leading to states of positive organizational justice.

Teams, Organizations, and Communities. Positive relationships can

also be defined from the vantage point of relationships that are nested
within teams, organizations, and communities. Ancona and Isaacs (chap. 12,
this volume) define positive relationships in teams as a structured pattern of
interrelating that creates an overall generative pattern of healthy team func-
tioning. Golden-Biddle and her colleagues (chap. 16, this volume) define
positive organizational relationships as patterns of interacting that are
characterized by a recurring but not necessarily intimate bond in which
groups of people develop a sense of mutuality, positive regard, and respect
for one another. McGinn (chap. 14, this volume) examines work relation-
ships within positive communities, and explains that positive communities
involve networks of supportive relationships. According to McGinn, a commu-
nity is positive when its members recognize and rely on their membership
as a valuable resource.

Resource Perspective. Positive organizational relationships can also be

defined as a resource for individuals, groups, and organizations. Baker and
Dutton (chap. 18, this volume) view positive work relationships as a form of
positive social capital that expands the generative capacity of people and
groups, thereby helping them achieve their goals in new and better ways.
Through HQCs and generalized reciprocity, positive work relationships in-
crease the resource-producing capabilities of individuals and groups. Rousseau
and Ling (chap. 20, this volume) point out that positive relationships expand
the resources organizations exchange with their members; positive work re-
12 RAGINS AND DUTTON

lationships take a generative role in creating, expanding, and sustaining re-

source-rich interactions between organizations and their members.

Relationship Type. Finally, some contributors define particular types

of positive relationships in organizations, such as diverse work relation-
ships (Davidson & James, chap. 7, this volume), leader–member dyads
(Fletcher, chap. 19, this volume) and mentoring relationships (Ragins &
Verbos, chap. 5, this volume). These chapters illustrate that although there
are common themes that define positive work relationships, the type of re-
lationship plays an important role in how positive work relationships are
defined, perceived, and evaluated. For example, Davidson and James (chap.
7) point to the critical role that conflict and learning play in overcoming ste-
reotypes and developing positive relationships across differences. Along
similar lines, Fletcher (chap. 19) observes that cultural constructions of
gender influence the views, expectations, and evaluations of relationships
involving female leaders. Ragins and Verbos (chap. 5) point to the impor-
tance of relational schema and cognitive processes in members’ percep-
tions, expectations, and evaluations of the quality of their relationship.

Summary. This preview illustrates the diversity and complexity in-

volved with defining positive relationships at work. Positive relationships at
work can be defined in terms of processes, experiences, and outcomes.
They can be viewed as embedded relationships that occur in groups, orga-
nizations, and communities. They can be defined in terms of meeting peo-
ple’s needs—needs that continually change based on the constellation of
other relationships in the organization and community. Positive work rela-
tionships are therefore fluid relationships that evolve and change over
time, people, context, and culture. Understanding these relationships re-
quires a holistic approach that incorporates multiple levels and relation-
ships that occur outside the organizations’ boundaries. Finally, the very
concept of positive may be shaped not only by the external social, organiza-
tional, and cultural context, but also by the internal, psychological, and cog-
nitive processes that drive members’ perceptions, expectations, and evalu-
ations of the relationship.
Now that we have a preliminary definition of positive relationships at
work, let us turn to an overview of the structure and contents of the book.

ROADMAP FOR THE BOOK

We know that positive work relationships may both affect and be affected
by individual attributes, dyadic properties of the relationship, properties of
groups and communities, and the broader organizational context. With this
1. POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK: AN INTRODUCTION 13

in mind, Exploring Positive Relationships at Work is organized into three parts

that span the micro-to-macro spectrum: (a) individuals and dyads, (b)
groups and communities, and (c) organizations and organizing.
A unique feature of the book is the use of a connecting commentator
chapter at the end of each of these three parts. The commentator chapters
uncover and discuss integrative themes that emerge within the sections.
The commentators invited to take the lead writing these chapters (Duck,
Kahn, and Rousseau) are preeminent scholars in their respective fields, and
their connecting chapters weave together themes, theories, and perspec-
tives within each level of analysis.
The contributors to this volume represent a select group of scholars
who have deep expertise in their field or on some aspect of positive rela-
tionships at work. To provide coherence and integration across chapters,
we asked our authors to write their chapters with two goals in mind. First,
they were asked to integrate and build on each others’ chapters across and
within levels of analysis. Our book-building conference provided a substan-
tive platform for achieving this goal, which was further reinforced by post-
ing chapter drafts on our book Web site. Second, to stress the importance
of linking their area of expertise to the new domain of positive relationships
at work, we asked contributors to address three questions in their chap-
ters. First, how does their chapter advance the construct of positive rela-
tionships at work? Second, what are the processes or mechanisms underly-
ing positive relationships at work? Last, how does their perspective on
positive relationships at work invite future research?
The book concludes with our summary chapter, which summarizes the
theoretical mechanisms underlying positive relationships at work, articu-
lates the value of a positive relationship at work perspective for organiza-
tional scholarship, and sets the course for navigating future research in this
exciting new area of inquiry.
We now focus our attention to an overview of the chapters in this book.
In particular, we offer our readers an appreciative summary that attempts
to capture the core essence and unique contributions of each chapter.

AN APPRECIATIVE SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTERS

Individual and Dyad Section

The book begins with an examination of the individual and dyadic factors
that affect and are affected by positive relationships at work. The authors in
this part break new ground and offer new perspectives on positive work re-
lationships by uncovering and exploring a rich and diverse range of topics,
such as identity, the body, energy, trust, mentoring, diversity, and justice.
14 RAGINS AND DUTTON

We start with Roberts’s chapter (chap. 2), which offers critical insights
into the identity processes underlying PRW. Positive relationships are associ-
ated with a range of positive outcomes, and Roberts uncovers the identity
mechanisms that may drive this relationship. She observes that by provid-
ing psychosocial support, inspiration, and feedback, positive work relation-
ships allow individuals to learn more about the valued and distinctive as-
pects of their own identities. She suggests that positive relationships create
identity enhancement by allowing individuals to discover their sources of
strength, competence, and contributions. According to Roberts, this cre-
ates a generative process; as individuals become more aware of their
strengths, they change their self-views to be aligned with the positive ap-
praisals of others. Even more intriguing is the proposed interplay between
identity and positive relationships. Roberts identifies this as a mutually re-
inforcing cycle: As relational identities are enhanced and enriched, the rela-
tionship becomes even more positive. Her account offers a compelling ex-
planation for the mechanisms underlying positive relationships at work and
explains, from an individual perspective, how relationships can be trans-
formed from damaging disconnections to growth-enhancing connections.
Heaphy’s chapter (chap. 3) breaks important new ground by examining
the relationship between PRW and the human body. Heaphy draws on a full
range of physiological literature, and her chapter opens an exciting portal
into a new area of scholarship on physiology and relationships. She pres-
ents three ways of conceptualizing the human body that offer insights into
the physiology of positive organizational relationships. First, by viewing the
body as a physiological system, she examines how organizational relation-
ships affect physical health through the mechanism of relationship quality.
Second, she examines the effects of bodily cues as subjective indicators of
the quality of the relationship. She observes that bodily cues allow individu-
als to make sense of their relationship and that the skillful use of bodily
cues is a form of interpersonal competence that emerges in positive rela-
tionships. Heaphy astutely observes that we underestimate the importance
of bodily cues in organizational life, and her analysis allows us to view the
body not as a threat to individual’s work performance, but as a source of
competence. Last, she offers an assessment of how cultural contexts offer
interpretative frameworks that help individuals make sense of the role of
bodies in relationships at organizational, institutional, and societal levels.
The Heaphy chapter offers a provocative analysis of the body and thought-
ful directions for future research on the physiological outcomes associated
with positive relationships at work.
Quinn’s chapter (chap. 4) analyzes the role of energy in positive connec-
tions and relationships at work. Energy is defined as a positive affective
experience involving the feeling of being eager to act and capable of act-
ing. Quinn contends that energy is necessary for the development of high
1. POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK: AN INTRODUCTION 15

quality connections and offers a dynamic model of the reciprocal relation-

ship between energy and positive connections at work. He explains that
the quality of a connection affects the experience of energy, and energy in
turn is necessary for the development of high-quality connections. His
chapter offers a thorough and perceptive analysis of three primary mech-
anisms through which energy influences the quality of workplace connec-
tions: mutual resource creation, feedback, and attachment. These mecha-
nisms involve three ideas: that employees build new valuable resources
when they are energized, that attachment develops when parties experi-
ence energy in an interaction, and that members then use this energy as
feedback to infer information about the quality of their interaction. A key
insight from this chapter is that energy represents a source of transforma-
tion and change in relationships, and that employee energy and the qual-
ity of work connections engage in a dynamic feedback relationship that
evolves over time.
Ragins and Verbos (chap. 5) examine the natural connection between
mentoring and positive relationships at work. They observe that the field of
mentoring can inform, and be informed by, a focus on positive relationships
at work. At its best, mentoring personifies positive relationships at work,
and their chapter begins with insights from mentoring research that
deepen the understanding of positive relationships at work. They observe
that positive work relationships are needs-based relationships that are
nested within a constellation of other career relationships that may tran-
scend organizational boundaries. They explain that like mentoring relation-
ships, positive relationships at work may evolve through life cycles that
transform over time and through states of relational quality. Ragins and
Verbos then turn the table and apply a positive lens to the mentoring arena.
They critique the mentoring literature and present the construct of rela-
tional mentoring as the most positive state in the continuum of mentoring
relationships. The second part of their chapter then offers a theoretical
model of mentoring schemas that integrates relational cognition theory,
relational schema theory, and models of relational self to explicate the
processes underlying schema development and expectations in positive re-
lationships. They propose that individuals develop particularlistic and ge-
neric relational schema about positive relationships that serve as a men-
tal guide for developing and sustaining relationships. These schemas
are formed through sources of relational knowledge and involve feedback
loops that perpetuate the creation of positive relationships at work. Their
model of mentoring schemas offers a useful bridge between social cogni-
tion theory and our understanding of the psychological and cognitive proc-
esses underlying positive relationships at work.
Pratt and Dirks (chap. 6) offer a compelling appraisal of the role of trust
in positive relationships at work. They begin by observing that trust is cen-
16 RAGINS AND DUTTON

tral to all positive relationships. They go on to observe that positive rela-

tionships are more resilient than other relationships in that positive rela-
tionships can offer their members support even in the face of adversity.
Pratt and Dirks reason that if positive relationships are characterized by re-
silience, it is important to understand not only the role of trust in positive
relationships, but also the processes involved with the breaking and repair
of trust. They make the case that traditional social exchange perspectives
do not address how trust is repaired and regained in relationships, and
thus fall short in capturing processes in positive relationships. As an alter-
native to social exchange perspectives, Pratt and Dirks use a relationship-
based commitment perspective that focuses on members’ commitment to
the relationship. They explain that whereas social exchange perspectives
allow for the positive and negative aspects of a relationship to cancel each
other out, a commitment-based perspective allows members to experience
both positive and negative elements simultaneously, leading to a state of
ambivalence. They contend that the resolution of this ambivalence be-
comes the fuel for trust, and that the ability to manage positive and nega-
tive elements simultaneously gives the relationship energy and resilience.
Pratt and Dirks reconceptualize trust as a volitional acceptance of the exis-
tence of both the vulnerability and the benefits associated with being in the
relationship. By offering a new lens on the building and rebuilding of trust,
this thought-provoking chapter offers a powerful explanation for the resil-
iency underlying positive relationships at work.
Davidson and James (chap. 7) tackle a critical dilemma in the diversity
arena: How can employees transform diverse relationships steeped in cyni-
cism, mistrust, and enmity into relationships that are productive, nurturing,
and energizing? They offer a key insight that this transformation occurs
through two primary mechanisms: conflict and learning. They observe that
salient differences between members in diverse (cross-difference) relation-
ships trigger schemas, stereotypes, and expectations that set the stage for
conflict. They examine the positive nature of conflict in cross-difference re-
lationships, and propose that the opportunity to transform this conflict into
learning is the only means by which high-quality relationships across differ-
ences emerge. Their chapter offers a penetrating examination of how indi-
viduals move beyond stereotypes and conflict to a learning approach. They
propose that the path to learning begins with an individual’s personal expe-
riences with members of diverse groups, but is also influenced by the mem-
bers’ investment in the relationship and hinges on core skills or relational
competencies that allow members to move the relationship from a state of
conflict to a state of growth, learning, and engagement. Developing high-
quality relationships across differences is often a daunting task, and this
chapter gives sharp insights into how conflict generated in diverse relation-
1. POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK: AN INTRODUCTION 17

ships can be transformed into a generative source of learning and personal

growth.
Greenberg (chap. 8) takes a fresh perspective by applying a positive lens
to the domain of organizational justice. He observes that the field of organi-
zational justice has focused more on the avoidance of injustice than on the
attainment of justice as a positive outcome of organizational relationships.
Greenberg identifies the need to bring balance to the study of organiza-
tional justice by refocusing attention from the individual’s negative reac-
tions of injustice to the positive side of the spectrum. Toward that goal, he
offers the idea of positive organizational justice, which he defines as “delib-
erate efforts to promote, enhance, and sustain perceived fairness in the
workplace in a manner that develops the positive capacities of individuals
and organizations.” He reviews the three established forms of justice (dis-
tributive, procedural, and interactional) with a positive organizational jus-
tice lens and offers an incisive critique of the strengths and limitations of
these perspectives as they relate to positive relationships at work. His
chapter identifies the underlying states and conditions that promote posi-
tive organizational justice and offers the idea of a self-regenerating cycle of
positive organizational justice. This chapter offers breadth and balance to
field of organizational justice and will be a catalyst for future research on
positive organizational justice.
The part on individual and dyadic elements of positive relationships con-
cludes with an insightful commentator chapter by Duck (chap. 9). As a re-
nowned scholar in the field of personal relationships, Duck draws on more
than 20 years of scholarship to integrate the chapters in this section and to
offer a number of key insights on positive relationships at work. First, he re-
minds us that relationships exist in a state of interdependence, and al-
though the chapters in this section focus on the individual and dyadic level
of analyses, these levels are embedded in other levels involving groups, or-
ganizations, and communities. Second, he observes that relationships are
social constructions that are not inherently positive or negative. He points
out that the construct of positivity is socially grounded and therefore the
qualities associated with positive relationships reflect assumptions embed-
ded in the organization and in the broader societal context. Third, he ob-
serves that the fluid, continuous, and dynamic nature of relationships
makes them “open-ended enterprises” that reflect “unfinished business”
rather than final states. He reminds us that positivity is not a perpetual
state, but rather a predominant form of the relationship; we cannot expect
individuals to view positive relationships as positive all the time. Finally he
points out that positive work relationships differ from other types of rela-
tionships in terms of intimacy, length, and whether they are voluntarily
formed. By drawing on the related field of personal relationships, Duck’s
18 RAGINS AND DUTTON

chapter deepens and broadens our understanding of positive relationships

at work.

Groups and Communities Section

In this part we shift our attention from individual and dyadic aspects of the
relationship to aspects of positive relationships that are embedded within
the broader context of groups and communities. Although relationships are
often viewed from a micro perspective, the contributors to this part push
the boundaries and expand our vision by viewing positive relationships as
nested within the context of networks, teams, groups, and communities.
We start with Kahn’s chapter (chap. 10), which offers a rich analysis of
how constellations of positive relationships help workers become attached to
their organizations. He stresses the fundamental point that relationships
are central to organizational life and individual’s workplace experiences. He
then identifies five dimensions of meaningful connections among people at
work (task accomplishment, career development, sense making, provision
of meaning, and personal support) and observes that these dimensions en-
able people to build relationships that meet instrumental, expressive, cog-
nitive, identity, growth, and relatedness needs. Kahn uses this framework to
examine the structure of relational constellations, which are defined as sets
of relationships that individuals draw on to meet their needs. He explains
that relational constellations vary in effectiveness, and identifies four types
of constellations that vary by scope and the degree to which they meet
members’ relational needs. He makes the case that positive relational con-
stellations bring a sense of psychological attachment that generalizes to the
workplace. Kahn offers the idea that meaningful connections at work are
not only sources of attachment, but also allow workers to bring their true
authentic selves to the workplace. This conceptual insight offers exciting
new possibilities for future research on relational constellations, organiza-
tional attachment and the development of authentic selves in the work-
place.
Higgins’s chapter (chap. 11) navigates new terrain by presenting a con-
tingency perspective on developmental networks and PRW. Working within
the mentoring arena, her chapter shifts the level of analysis from dyadic re-
lationships to constellations of relationships within relationship networks.
Higgins points out that prevailing perspectives on mentoring fail to exam-
ine how constellations of relationships and network structures affect a
given mentoring relationship. Whereas traditional perspectives take a
“more is better” approach and assume that the more help that is given in a
relationship the better, or that larger networks are better than smaller net-
works, Higgins observes that the helpfulness of a given mentoring relation-
ship depends on the unique needs of the protégé as well as the structure
1. POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK: AN INTRODUCTION 19

and quality of the other developmental relationships in the protégé’s net-

work. She uses specific scenarios to illustrate her contingency framework.
Under this framework, developmental relationships are affected not only by
the needs of the individual but also by the patterns of other relationships
that exist within social arenas involving work, home, community, and pro-
fessional associations. Her chapter highlights the interdependence of rela-
tionships as embedded within social networks and offers a much-needed
holistic perspective on the development of positive relationships across
work, life and professional arenas.
Ancona and Isaacs (chap. 12) take a bold step across disciplines by using
family systems theory as a paradigm for understanding the positive side of
teams. They start by critiquing traditional models of team functioning. They
point out that these models are mechanistic and take a narrow input–proc-
ess–output perspective in which the whole is viewed as the sum of its parts.
Under this view, the key to high-performing teams involves simply moving
or changing a given part (i.e., putting the right people on the team, offering
the right incentive, or changing a given behavior), thus failing to analyze
the underlying structures that create team behavior or explain the genera-
tive processes that characterize effective teams. Ancona and Issacs address
these deficits by offering an alternative paradigm: a “living system” per-
spective on teams. Under this view, teams are seen as living, self-regulating
systems that reflect on their own functioning and engage in creative ac-
tions that lead to generative processes and structural balance. Ancona and
Isaacs explain that a positive or balanced team has a set of structures that
continuously monitor, correct, and produce healthy team outcomes. They
develop this idea by applying a family systems lens, which views families
in terms of self-regulating systems. Using the family systems “four-player
model,” Ancona and Issacs examine how four central acts that occur in
teams work together to create a system of structural balance and health in
teams. They explain that it is not just the existence of all four acts, but the
unique sequence and dynamics across acts that determine team effective-
ness. By using family systems theory to understand team dynamics, this in-
novative chapter expands our vision and understanding of positive rela-
tionships in teams.
Blatt and Camden (chap. 13) explore the role of positive relationships in
cultivating a sense of community at work. Their chapter addresses a press-
ing dilemma in the new economy: Given the increase in temporary workers,
how can organizations cultivate a sense of community among workers who
have no past, no future, and no membership in the organization? Blatt and
Camden explain that a sense of community, which is defined as a subjective
state of belonging, meets workers’ fundamental needs of belonging and of-
fers a powerful source of attachment and connection to the organization.
However, they observe that the methods used to cultivate community with
20 RAGINS AND DUTTON

permanent workers (i.e., strengthening markers of identity and culture) ex-

clude rather than include temporary employees. Blatt and Camden used in-
depth interviews to uncover the experience of community among tempo-
rary employees, and found that temporary workers’ sense of community is
developed through small acts of positive connecting with other coworkers,
rather than through the macro-organizational practices that are frequently
used with permanent workers. They found that temporary workers re-
ported that their sense of community did not develop over time, nor was it
expected to last; it developed swiftly and involved positive in-the-moment
connections that offered feelings of inclusion, a felt sense of importance,
perceptions of mutual benefits, and the experience of shared emotions.
Their study illustrates that positive connections can enable the experience
of belonging at work, even in the absence of a shared past or an anticipated
future. This chapter offers critical insights for understanding how positive
relationships at work influence community in workforces blended with per-
manent, temporary, part-time, and virtual workers. It also points to the fact
that even as work life becomes infused with discontinuity, people’s need for
positive relationships remains constant.
McGinn (chap. 14) further extends our vision of positive relationships at
work by offering an analysis of the role of positive communities in workers’
lives. She explains that a community is a set of individuals that share or
hold something in common, and may therefore be geographical, concep-
tual, or behavioral. McGinn uses a case study of a community of longshore-
men in San Pedro, California, to examine how positive communities help
workers deal with external changes that threaten their livelihoods and life-
styles. She observes that positive communities are characterized by mutu-
ally supportive relationships that are recognized as a valuable resource by
their members. McGinn discovered that through shared history, shared
structure, and shared communication practices, positive communities offer
workers a source of identity, a base for interpretation of events and a chan-
nel of influence. Her rich analysis illustrates that communities can shape
the ways members think about themselves and one another, their work,
and their workplaces. This chapter offers the valuable insight that the posi-
tive relationships developed in communities can be a tangible, vital, and in-
fluential force in the workplace, and further dispels the notion of non-
permeable work–community boundaries.
Drawing on the chapters in this section, Kahn’s commentator chapter
(chap. 15) identifies the underlying conditions that create and sustain posi-
tive relationships in groups and communities. He observes that positive
relationships at work sustain, and are sustained by, work groups and com-
munities. He explains that groups and communities sustain positive rela-
tionships by offering their members good harbors that offer shelter from the
storms of organizational life. Good harbors allow people to work with each
1. POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK: AN INTRODUCTION 21

other in bounded and safe ways, allow them to be vulnerable and authentic,
and offer shape and meaning to their work experiences. Kahn offers the
core insight that positive relationships in groups and communities are cre-
ated through positive spirals, endlessly looping positive acts that are ongo-
ing, self-regulating, and self-perpetuating. He explains that positive spirals
are marked by “begetting”—a positive movement from one group or com-
munity begets another until the acts take on a life of their own and become
woven into the life of the group or community. Through positive acts,
groups and communities create an abundance of connection with one an-
other, stockpiling goodwill and positive energy that members can draw on
in the course of their work. In this thoughtful and perceptive chapter, Kahn
reminds us that positive relationships are difficult to create and sustain,
and that they are both “a marvelous and a fragile thing.”

Organizations and Organizing Section

The final part of the book approaches positive work relationships from an
organizational level and tackles the challenge of exploring how organiza-
tions affect, and are affected by, positive relationships at work. By viewing
positive relationships through a macro lens, this section offers an impor-
tant bridge between positive relationships and such topics as organiza-
tional culture, identity, effectiveness, and change.
Golden-Biddle et al. (chap. 16) leads off this section with a rich examina-
tion of the complex dynamics underlying the relationship between organiza-
tional culture and positive relationships at work. They explain that culture
consists of symbolic forms through which individuals experience and ex-
press meaning in the workplace. Symbolic forms are representations in-
volving language, goals, beliefs, and mission. Their case analysis of a Cana-
dian health care organization offers keen insights into how cultural symbols
shape organizational members’ capacity to cultivate and sustain positive
organizational relationships. Golden-Biddle and her colleagues discovered
that culture not only shapes positive relationships, but that positive rela-
tionships shape culture by keeping symbolic forms alive and reinfusing
them with meaning and significance. When capitalized on by leaders, this
interdependence helped the organization transition through times of tur-
moil and change. These scholars found that positive relationships became
a life-enriching and energy-producing resource that broadened organiza-
tional members’ repertoires for dealing with change, and helped members
reframe experiences from helplessness and lack of control to hope and pur-
poseful action. This chapter offers the critical perspective that positive
work relationships affect not only dyads and groups, but are also cultural
products with symbolic meaning that can reflect and revitalize organiza-
tional culture.
22 RAGINS AND DUTTON

Glynn and Wrobel (chap. 17) break important new ground by applying an
institutional perspective to the study of positive family relationships at
work. Their chapter examines the identity and institutional mechanisms
that make family relationships an endogenous resource for organizations. En-
dogenous resources come from within the organization, usually through its
people or cultural values. Glynn and Wrobel propose that family relation-
ships can give an organization an identity when the family of the founder,
CEO, or other prominent figure is displayed as part of the identity of the or-
ganization (e.g., Levi-Strauss, Harley-Davidson, Hewlett-Packard). According
to Glynn and Wrobel, these positive family relationships become a form of
social capital for the organization; they signal the firm’s expertise, abun-
dance, and trustworthiness. Glynn and Wrobel propose that positive family
relationships can characterize, enliven, and legitimate a firm and its offer-
ings to public audiences. The chapter addresses a critical gap in the litera-
ture by examining how organizational identities are grounded in personal
identities that spring from positive family relationships. Their analysis of
how identity mechanisms claim familial relationships as core attributes of
the firm offers an innovative appraisal of the intertwining of personal and
organizational identities. Another creative aspect of the chapter is their use
of institutional theory to understand how institutional mechanisms serve to
graft one social institution (family) to another (the firm). This chapter offers
a fresh theoretical perspective on the use of positive family relationships as
an endogenous resource over the life cycle of the firm and makes an impor-
tant link between institutional and identity theory and organizational out-
comes associated with PRW.
Baker and Dutton (chap. 18) expands our understanding of positive rela-
tionships at work by offering a new framework for understanding how social
mechanisms and organizational practices foster the development of positive
social capital at work. They start with introducing the concept of positive so-
cial capital. They explain that social capital is positive if it expands the gen-
erative capacity of individuals and groups and helps them achieve their
personal and professional goals in new and better ways. They then explore
how two forms of positive social capital (high-quality connections and reci-
procity) increase the resource-producing capabilities of individuals and
groups. A key insight of this chapter is the connection between positive so-
cial capital and organizational practices. Baker and Dutton offer the idea
that different organizational practices activate and affirm employees’ moti-
vation to participate in generative connections and systems of relation-
ships. They ground this framework by identifying clusters of human re-
source practices (selection, socialization, evaluation, rewards) as well as
other everyday work practices (conduct of meetings, collaborative technol-
ogies, practices of interpersonal helping) that, through motivation and op-
portunity mechanisms, enable the development of positive social capital in
1. POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK: AN INTRODUCTION 23

organizations. This chapter offers a powerful framework for understanding

how organizational systems and patterns of “everyday doing” can create or
destroy positive social capital in organizations.
Fletcher (chap. 19) brings a vital new lens to the topic by conceptualizing
leadership as a type of positive work relationship that is influenced by gen-
der, power, and societal dynamics. The chapter applies a psychological
model of human growth and development, the Stone Center relational the-
ory (SRT), to the leadership arena to develop the concept of relational lead-
ership. Fletcher explores the components of relational leadership, and pro-
poses that it influences the relational climate of organizations through a
spiraling process that leads to relational outcomes at multiple organiza-
tional levels. A key contribution of this chapter is its emphasis on societal
factors that affect positive relationships at work. SRT offers a feminist orien-
tation that deals directly with the issue of power differences in relational in-
teractions, and Fletcher applies this perspective to leadership relation-
ships. Fletcher explains that relational behaviors may be misinterpreted as
displays of powerlessness for women and other groups with a history of
less power in society. The experience and consequences of relational lead-
ership may therefore be affected by the power associated with group
membership. This chapter offers the necessary insight that systemic soci-
etal dynamics associated with power and group membership may influence
organizational members’ ability to develop, nurture, and sustain PRW.
The last part of this volume concludes with a commentator chapter by
Rousseau and Ling (chap. 20) that deepens our understanding of positive
relationships at work as a resource for organizations. Drawing on the chap-
ters in this part, Rousseau and Ling offer an incisive analysis of the connec-
tion between positive organizational relationships and the resources ex-
changed by organizations and their members. They observe that positive
organizational relationships are a critical form of resource exchange that
serves as an intervening mechanism between situational and individual fea-
tures and organizational responses. They capture the idea that positive
work relationships make their participants “resource-rich” by creating effi-
ciencies in the use of resources and by generating new resources that are
scarce and valued. Rousseau and Ling point to the generative essence of
positive organizational relationships, and make the critical point that posi-
tive relationships “substantially multiply the potentialities of people and or-
ganizations” and are generative in their ability to expand the array of avail-
able organizational resources (“the pie”). Their chapter also offers an
interesting historical perspective by pointing out that a positive relation-
ship at work perspective reclaims and resurrects themes of human growth
and development that were prevalent in organizational research in the
1950s but were downplayed as organizational studies moved from social
sciences to business schools. This insightful chapter not only illustrates the
24 RAGINS AND DUTTON

mechanisms through which positive work relationships create resources in

organizations, but also highlights the importance of reclaiming a humanis-
tic perspective that recognizes the influence of positive relationships in or-
ganizational life.

THE INVITATION

As this appreciative overview illustrates, the chapters in this volume offer a

rich and multilayered foundation for building and nourishing positive rela-
tionships at work as a new field of inquiry. As a multidisciplinary and multi-
level area of scholarship, PRW offers an abundant vista of exciting new re-
search possibilities. We invite you to join us in exploring this promising
new research frontier.

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