I Resent that I Have Helped you! A Qualitative Study of Sources and Consequences of Resentment of Helping

Drawing upon conservation of resources (COR) theory, prior research has shown how helping behavior leads to a depleted condition experienced by the helper. It, however, remains ambiguous regarding why some helping situations allow the helper to have positive experiences while other situations lead to depleted experiences? Utilizing the grounded theory approach with inductive reasoning, we find two broad categories of sources leading to resentment of helping, including characteristics of the recipient and performance-related threats. Moreover, we propose that when resentment of helping is experienced, helping discontinuation is likely to occur. Furthermore, we theorize that forgiveness and organizational rewards moderate the relationship between resentment of helping and helping discontinuation. Theoretical and managerial implications are also discussed.