This study aims to build and examine a model of sustainable supply management (SSM) practices and sustainability performance (SP) from a dynamic capability perspective. More precisely, this article examines whether SSM practices have an affect on SP, and this relation is mediated by supply chain risk management (SCRM) and network capability (NC), and moderated by firm size. We collected data from 436 supply management professionals through a survey instrument from six manufacturing and logistics companies in China. The hypothesized direct and indirect linkages were tested through structural equation modeling. Our findings highlight that SSM practices positively affect SCRM, NC, and SP. The link between SSM practices and SP is mediated by SCRM and NC. The results indicate that firm size moderate the hypothesized relationships differentially based on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) versus large enterprises. Our study is novel in establishing empirically how SSM practices influence SP as an integrative model bringing together firm size, SCRM, and NC. Our empirical results have critical implications for both supply chain management literature and supply management professionals.

Generalized reciprocity and negative reciprocity have been demonstrated to influence employees’ psychological states and outcomes differently. Drawing upon social exchange theory and emotion regulation theory, we develop a model that specifies whether and how generalized reciprocity and negative reciprocity influence employees’ task performance. A cross-sectional survey study (N = 584) reveals that generalized reciprocity is positively related to task performance, whereas negative reciprocity is adversely related to task performance, and both of these relationships are mediated by social exchange. Interestingly, the findings also indicate that emotional labor moderates the associations between generalized reciprocity and social exchange and between negative reciprocity and social exchange. Specifically, individuals with high deep acting or low surface acting can experience higher social exchange after perceiving generalized reciprocity, whereas individuals with high surface acting or low deep acting can experience lower social exchange after perceiving negative reciprocity. These results provide significant implications for academic research and managerial practice.

Previous research has long focused on the positive effect of contingent reward on employees’ psychological states and outcomes. Recent studies show that contingent punishment can also positively impact employees’ outcomes. Whether contingent reward can improve employees’ compliance behavior more than punishment can, has not been adequately studied. Exploring this issue can help researchers understand contingent reward and punishment from the perspective of the relationship norms between leaders and employees. Drawing on the planned behavior theory and cognitive appraisal theory, we developed and tested a model specifying why and how contingent reward (relative to contingent punishment) increase employees’ compliance behavior. Using a scenario-based experiment across two-stage surveys of 309 participants, we found that contingent reward (relative to contingent punishment) could influence compliance behavior by increasing and decreasing distinct types of affective attitudes (i.e., self-esteem and anxiety). Moreover, the perceived operational capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) moderated the effect of contingent reward on self-esteem and anxiety. High perceived operational capabilities of AI enhanced the positive effect of contingent reward (relative to contingent punishment) on self-esteem and its negative effect on anxiety as well. This research yields innovative insights for the improvement of compliance behavior.

Although the literature has shown that generalized reciprocity and negative reciprocity as exchange norms can significantly influence employees’ outcomes, knowledge about how and when the two types of norms influence employees’ well-being is limited. Based on social exchange theory and self-determination theory, we built and investigated a model by conducting a large questionnaire survey with 551 employees and managers. The results of the structural equation model supported our hypotheses. First, generalized reciprocity is positively related to well-being, and negative reciprocity is negatively related to well-being. Both intrinsic motivation and perceived organizational obstruction can meditate roles in the above relationships. Moreover, strength use can enhance the relationship between generalized reciprocity and intrinsic motivation, and it can also weaken the relationship between negative reciprocity and perceived organizational obstruction. Our research represents a significant step towards better understanding the work-related implications of imbalanced reciprocity, highlighting the destructive influence of negative reciprocity on employees’ well-being.