Work-life benefits and positive organizational behavior: is there a connection?

Focusing on the employee well-being component of positive organizational behavior (POB), this study explores the relationship between organization provided benefit programs and POB. Specifically, we ask the question: are employees' use and perceived value of a work-life benefit package associated with their positive attitudes and behaviors in the workplace? Grounded in social exchange theory and the norm of reciprocity, we develop and estimate a model identifying differential relationships of benefit use and perceived benefit value with employee attitudinal and performance outcomes. Employing the multigroup method, the hypothesized model was fit to the data of two dissimilar organizations. Results support our hypothesis that providing work-life benefits employees use and/or value is part of a positive exchange between the employee and employer. This exchange is positively related to employees' feelings of perceived organizational support and affective commitment to the organization and reciprocation in the form of higher levels of task and contextual performance behaviors. Results also revealed that employees' perceptions of benefit program value play a critical role regardless of actual program use in influencing attitudes and behavior. Our findings emphasize the importance of valuing employees and investing in their well-being inside as well as outside the workplace. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.