When Algorithmic Management Plays an Intermediary Role in Worker-Organization Relationships: A Social Exchange Perspective

This article applies social exchange theory (SET) principles to the context of algorithmic management (AM), where algorithmic systems act as a technological intermediary between workers and organization. We propose a theoretical model that examines how AM shapes worker-organization social exchange relationships. We posit that organizational choices regarding AM shape system materiality, which workers evaluate through heuristic signals of procedural, informational, and distributive justice. These justice evaluations provide cognitive bases for workers’ trust in the AM system, which in turn shapes trust in the organization. This organizational trust reinforces the norm of reciprocity, fostering workers’ reciprocative behaviors toward the organization. Our model suggests that traditional social exchange principles apply to algorithmically mediated worker-organization relationships, yet require some theoretical modification, offering both theoretical insights and practical guidance for AM use.