Organizational Support Theory Research Articles

The impact of supportive leadership on employee outcomes during organizational mergers: An organizational-level field study.

Past merger and acquisition research has reported mixed findings on the impact of mergers on workforces. To address these ambiguities and advance merger research at the organizational level of analysis, we present a natural quasi-experiment focusing on mergers in the English National Health Service. Building on organizational support theory and conservation of resources theory, we propose that merger events represent environmental stressors, with negative implications for employees' subjective (job satisfaction) and objective (absenteeism) outcomes. However, extending previous theorizing, we argue that by increasing their supportive leadership, midlevel management can compensate for the resource losses incurred during mergers, and in doing so, minimize the adverse impact on their workforces. We test our predictions in the context of multiple primary care trust mergers, which took place in 2006. We analyzed the annual staff surveys, combined with objective information on employee absenteeism, and compared merging organizations with nonmerging organizations before (2005) and after (2007) the mergers. As expected, employees of merging (vs. not merging) organizations showed stronger decreases in job satisfaction, and these decreases in subjective outcomes were associated with increases in absenteeism over the course of the merger process. However, consistent with our propositions, we found that increases in supportive leadership during the merger period served to mitigate these negative outcomes. Our results highlight the organizational-level implications of mergers and the role that midlevel management can play in compensating for the losses experienced during (stressful) merger events. We discuss the implications for dynamic models of merger integration and leadership during change. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Perceived Organizational Support and Talent Retention of Women Engineers in the Malaysian Oil and Gas Sector: A Conceptual Framework

The influx of women into the workforce has been one of the dominant global social trends for the past fifty years (1970 onwards). Women contribute to half of the total population of Malaysia and play a pertinent role in the nation’s socio-economic development. The Malaysian oil and gas sector employs a significant number of academically qualified, talented, and capable women engineers to fill critical positions for organizational success and sustainability. However, gender-related and management studies have found that organizational support and talent retention of women at the workplace have posed challenges, including the oil and gas sector. This research aims to develop a preliminary conceptual framework to examine the perceived organizational support that contributes to the talent retention of women engineers in the Malaysian oil and gas sector. Two underpinning theories have been applied, i.e, the Perceived Organizational Support Theory (POST) and the Social Exchange Theory (SET). Internal perceived organizational support variables that influence employee retention and their challenges have been reviewed and examined through secondary data, online resources, and government documents. Social support, career growth, rewards, workload, and work flexibility may affect talent retention. Five hypotheses to investigate the factors leading to the retention of talented women engineers in organizations have been developed and discussed in this article. This study may bring positive impacts on talent retention and contribute to the limited gender studies in the engineering discipline within an Eastern setting in the oil and gas sector.

Supportive supervisor behavior and helping behaviors in the hotel sector: assessing the mediating effect of employee engagement and moderating influence of perceived organizational obstruction.

While emerging studies pay much attention to the supervisory support-employee performance relationship, the supportive supervisor consequences on employees' attitudes and behaviors have attracted little attention in this relationship. In spite of the growing concern about employees' helping behaviors as a tool that directly benefit coworkers to be work-role focused and improve performance, supportive supervisor behavior that represents the psychological, physical, cognitive, and esteem assistance has also been deemed to be a catalyst of employees' helping behaviors. Also, it is worth noting that employees exhibit helping behaviors when they are highly engaged in work role focus, activation, and positive affect. However, little has been espoused on how supportive behaviors could enhance employees' loyalty to spark helping behaviors. Owing to this narrative, this study draws on social exchange theory and reciprocity norm to examine the mediating role of employee engagement in the effects of supportive supervisor behavior on hotel employees' helping behaviors. Also, this study examined the boundary role of perceived organizational obstruction based on perceived organizational support as proposed by organizational support theory. Using a time lag of six months, a two-wave data were gathered from 461 full‒time frontline employees working in 3-5 star hotels in Ghana. Hierarchical regression was used to analyze the hypothesized relationships. The results demonstrated that supportive supervisor behavior positively related to employees' helping behaviors. Besides, intellectual, social, and affective engagement partly mediated the relationship between supportive manager behavior and employees' helping behavior. Moreover, perceived organizational obstruction moderated the relationship between intellectual engagement and employees' helping behavior. However, failed to moderate social and affective engagement relationships with employees' helping behaviors.

The consequences of face-threatening feedback on innovators' psychological safety, affect, and willingness to engage in future innovation projects.

While there is substantial research on how firms successfully end project initiatives deemed unsuitable for them very few studies focus on how leaders and managers communicate termination messages. Drawing from politeness theory and organizational support theory we explore the impact termination messages varying in face sensitivity have on innovators' feelings of psychological safety, affect, and their willingness to continue to innovate We find that face-threatening messages significantly and negatively affect innovators' psychological safety, affect, and willingness to further innovate. The negative effects are amplified when innovators feel high commitment to their projects.

Impact of authentic leadership on employee turnover intention: Perceived supervisor support as mediator and organizational identification as moderator.

Authentic leadership is considered a critical factor for retaining talented employees. However, despite fruitful findings, researchers have paid little attention to how authentic leadership is associated with employee turnover intention. Drawing on organizational support theory, justice literature, and social identity theory, we examine the effects of supervisors' authentic leadership on employee turnover intention to better understand how authentic leaders reduce employees' turnover intention in Asian context. In this study, we focus on the mediating role of perceived supervisor support (PSS) and the moderating role of organizational identification in the relationship between supervisors' authentic leadership and employee turnover intention. To test our hypothesized research model, we adopted a cross-sectional design with a convenience data sampling. We also used a self-report research design in the current study. We collected data from 433 employees from several organizations in Korea. Our respondents rated their immediate supervisors' authentic leadership and their PSS, turnover intention and organizational identification. Confirmatory factor analysis, regression analysis, and moderated mediation analysis revealed that: authentic leadership negatively predicted employee turnover intention. In addition, PSS completely mediates the relationship between authentic leadership and employee turnover intention. Furthermore, organizational identification moderates the relationship between PSS and turnover intention. Lastly, organizational identification moderates the mediating effect of PSS on the relationships between perceptions of authentic leadership and employee turnover intention. Herein, we discuss the managerial implications and future research directions arising from our study.

Enhancing Relationships Through Online Brand Communities: Comparing Posters and Lurkers

ABSTRACT This study establishes the importance of considering both posters (interactive members) and lurkers (non-interactive members) for a clearer understanding of online brand communities. Based on organizational support theory and social identity theory, this study proposes a model a model that illustrates the impacts of perceived brand support in brands’ online communities upon members’ community identity and brand trust, leading to their positive behaviors toward the brand (i.e., purchase intention, resistance to negative information, and positive word of mouth) and how these effects differ between posters and lurkers. Using structural equation modeling, results reveal that in firm-hosted online brand communities, perceived brand support (i.e., recognizing contributions, encouraging interactions, and providing quality information) relates to members’ satisfaction by fulfilling their socioemotional needs (community identity) and increases their brand trust. Furthermore, multigroup analyses indicate significant differences in the paths to brand trust between posters and lurkers. Brand knowledge, providing quality information, and encouraging members to interact drive brand trust for lurkers. For posters, trust is driven by their sense of community identity and encouraging members to interact. This research advances the literature on online brand communities by shedding light on the scant knowledge of lurkers in online communities. It demonstrates how perceived support from brands can improve both posters’ and lurkers’ relationships with the community and the brand itself. The findings provide actionable managerial recommendations regarding how brands can manage their relationships with all members (both posters and lurkers) in their online communities.

Testing the mediating role of POS between perceived AMO framework and deviant behaviours in the Indian IT sector

This study empirically investigates the impact of perceived abilities, motivation, and opportunities-enhancing HRM practices (AMO framework) on destructive and constructive deviance. Additionally, this study explores the mediating role of perceived organisational support (POS) between perceived abilities-motivation-opportunity (AMO) framework and destructive and constructive deviance. Data was collected from 265 entry-level IT employees. Structural equation modelling was used to test direct, indirect, and mediating effects. Results revealed a significant negative relationship between perceived abilities-motivation-opportunity (AMO) framework and destructive deviance and a significant positive relationship with constructive deviance. Furthermore, results revealed the significant positive impact of perceived abilities, motivation, and opportunities-enhancing HRM practices on the perceived organisational support (POS). Similarly, POS exhibited a significant negative relationship with destructive and positive relationship with constructive deviance. Utilising organisational support theory (OST), results proposed partial mediation of POS between perceived abilities, motivation, opportunities-enhancing HRM practices and destructive and constructive deviance.

Relationship between downsizing and organisational performance: serial mediation effect of employee morale and tolerance to ambiguity

The purpose of the study is to examine the impact of downsizing on organisational performance. The study adopts serial mediation analysis through employee morale and tolerance to the ambiguity between downsizing and organisational performance. It uses organisational support theory to establish the relationship among study variables. The data are collected from employees in the manufacturing unit using a questionnaire and analysed using structural equation modelling. The analysis found that downsizing positively impacted organisational performance and provided evidence that downsizing action, when viewed as affirmative action by employees, brings positive outcomes. The results emphasised the importance of employee morale and the need to create a culture of tolerance to ambiguity for achieving sustainable organisational performance. The study results added to the downsizing literature by establishing both its direct effect and indirect effect on organisational performance.

From Subordinate Moqi to Work Engagement: The Role of Leader–Member Exchange in the Sustainability Context

In search of sustainable strategies to improve employees’ work engagement without harming their long-term performance in the VUCA era, this study examines the impact path of subordinate moqi on employees’ work engagement based on leader–member exchange theory and organizational support theory. A total of 322 R&D staff from high-tech enterprises in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, and other cities participated in the study. The data analysis reveals that the leader–member exchange partially mediates between subordinate moqi and work engagement. Moreover, both supervisor’s organizational embodiment and perceived organizational support can positively moderate the impact of subordinate moqi on leader–member exchange. The empirical results enrich the intermediary mechanism between subordinate moqi and work engagement. Employees with subordinate moqi have better chances of meeting their supervisors’ implicit expectations, leading to a higher relationship quality with followers and increasing enthusiasm for work. The current study clarifies the theoretical and practical significance of subordinate moqi in establishing high-quality work relationships and sustainable development of organizations’ human resources.

Applying Attachment Theory to Explain Boundary-spanning Behavior: The Role of Organizational Support Climate

Boundary spanning has been proven to have positive implications for innovation performance; yet, some individuals are less boundary-spanning than others. Drawing on the attachment theory and organizational support theory, this study develops a multi-level theoretical model to investigate how individuals’ attachment insecurity influences boundary-spanning behavior through self-efficacy and the moderating role of organizational support climate. To validate the proposed model, we adopted a survey research, and collected data from NPD project teams in China. The results revealed that both insecure attachment styles were associated with lower levels of individual boundary-spanning behavior, and self-efficacy partially mediated these relationships. Moreover, organizational support climate played a moderating role in the relationship between attachment anxiety and boundary-spanning behavior. With a high level of support climate, the negative impact of attachment anxiety on boundary-spanning behavior was weakened. This elucidates the role of individual affective motivation and team shared perceptions in shaping individual externally focused behavior.

Organizational-level perceived support enhances organizational profitability.

Although the importance of perceived organizational support on organizational outcomes has been highlighted in the literature, research is lacking concerning how organization-wide perceptions of support by employees (organizational-level perceived support [OPS]) may contribute to organizational performance. To address this critical deficiency in the literature, we extend organizational support theory to the organizational level and examine the influence of OPS on organizational profitability. We conducted two studies with samples of 224 and 96 organizations, respectively, in South Korea and found that workforce performance (Study 1) and workforce voluntary turnover rate (Studies 1 and 2) mediate the relationship between OPS and organizational profitability. Furthermore, we found that organizational financial slack resources moderate the effect of OPS on workforce performance. Specifically, the positive effect of OPS on workforce performance, and consequently on organizational profitability, was stronger when financial slack resources were lower. Financial slack resources, however, do not moderate the relationship between OPS and voluntary turnover rate. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Leader Apology in the Employee–Organization Relationship: The Roles of Subordinate Power Distance Belief and Leader Competence

According to the organizational support theory, leaders' words and deeds are not only the products of their own will but also a reflection of organizations' standpoints. We thus focus on leader apology in the case of organizational transgressions and predict that leaders' apologetic acts are likely to influence employees' organization-oriented attitudes and behaviors. Specifically, leader apology is hypothesized to positively influence employees' perception of organizational support, which in turn, is positively associated with employees' helping and risk taking behavior. Furthermore, drawing upon the organizational support theory that delineates the discretion and value perceived in the employee-organization relationship, we further propose that employees' perceived leader competence and power distance belief serve as two contingencies that influence the relationship between leader apology and employees' perceived organizational support. In particular, this relationship is stronger when employees perceive higher leader competence or hold stronger power distance beliefs. Two multi-wave data collected from hospitality employees support these hypotheses. The findings provide a new perspective to comprehending leader apology within the employee-organization relationship wherein leaders are considered as organizational agents. This research extends the existing literature on leader apology that largely focuses on leader apology following leaders’ transgressions and leader-oriented outcomes.

Organisational support: Associations with psychological contracts and turnover intention in the South African food manufacturing industry

The study examined the role of employee perceived organisational support (POS) in the relationship between employee psychological contract (PC) and turnover intention (TUI). The participants comprised employees in a South African (SA) food manufacturing company (n= 385 employees; female = 33.8%; age range 35 to 44 years; mean period tenure = 13 years, SD = 10.98 years), who completed the Perceived Organisational Support Scale (POSS), the Psychological Contract Scale (PCS), and the Turnover Intention Scale (TIS). Hierarchical regression results indicated that POS was associated with low transactional psychological contract (PC-T) and TUI levels. Additionally, the results indicated that POS to be associated with a higher level of psychological contact (PC-R) and lower TUI. Furthermore, the results indicated that females, older, and longer tenure, as well as higher level of formal education were associated with higher psychological contact and lower turnover intention. The findings are consistent with social exchange theory and organisational support theory in respect of creating a trusting work environment. By implication, employees with a high relational psychological contract type and perceived high organisational support, may have a higher organisational commitment and hence lower intent to quit.

Professional isolation and pandemic teleworkers’ satisfaction and commitment: The role of perceived organizational and supervisor support

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has abruptly and profoundly changed the way people interact with their organization, their colleagues and their supervisor. ObjectiveThis study assesses the effects of telework-induced professional isolation due to the pandemic. Drawing on organizational support theory, this study examines the relationship between professional isolation and satisfaction with the telework experience and affective organizational commitment during mandatory teleworking caused by the COVID-19 crisis. It does so by focusing on the moderating role of perceived organizational and supervisor support in these relations. MethodsData was collected via self-reported survey questionnaires from 728 pandemic teleworkers from various industry sectors in Quebec during the COVID-19 crisis. The study's hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM), and moderation effects were probed with the Johnson-Neyman technique. ResultsThe results reveal that professional isolation negatively affects satisfaction with the telework experience, but does not affect affective organizational commitment. The relationship between satisfaction with telework and professional isolation was moderated by perceived organizational support, and the relationship between affective organizational commitment and professional isolation was moderated by perceived supervisor support. ConclusionThis study expands the organizational support theory by examining perceived organizational and supervisor support during a crisis as a counterbalance to a challenging social and organizational climate that has led to professional isolation. The implications of the findings as well as future directions for research on professional isolation and telework are discussed.

The Relationship Between Faculty Members’ Organizational Support Perceptions and Personal Growth Initiative Levels, The Mediating Role of General Self-Efficacy

The aims of this study were to investigate the relationship between organizational support perceptions and personal growth initiative levels of the faculty members working in Turkey and to examine the effect of self-efficacy perceptions in this relationship. The study was designed as a relational survey model. 346 faculty members from public universities in Turkey comprised the participants. The data was collected with General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), Perceived Organizational Support Scale (POSS), Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II (PGIS-II). Descriptive analyses and structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to examine the structural relations among the variables. It was observed that faculty members’ organizational support perceptions had a significant direct effect on their personal growth initiative levels; organizational support perceptions had a significant effect on general self-efficacy beliefs; and the effect of general self-efficacy beliefs on personal growth initiative levels was significant. It was evidenced that faculty members’ self-efficacy beliefs fully mediated the relationship between perceived organizational support and personal growth initiative levels. These results are in line with the principles of Organizational Support Theory and Social Cognitive Theory. More research explaining the effect of organizational factors on self-efficacy and personal growth initiative is needed.

Evaluating the impact of the live healthy, work healthy program on organizational outcomes: A randomized field experiment.

The prevalence of chronic health conditions is increasing, with over half the current workforce attempting to manage one or more chronic conditions. The Live Healthy, Work Healthy (LHWH) program is a version of the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program translated to the workplace, with the goal of improving and sustaining the health, well-being, and productivity of employees living with chronic health conditions. Using organizational support theory as a theoretical framework and a clustered randomized controlled trial design, this article demonstrates how the LHWH program positively impacts work-related quality of life, orientations toward the organization, and organizational cognitions and behaviors. Participants in the program experienced increases in perceived organizational support (POS), with a large intervention effect. Direct intervention effects were also found for burnout, work engagement, work ability, affective organizational commitment, and organizational citizenship behaviors. Within-person changes in POS during the intervention was a key mechanism through which participants of the program experienced changes in organizationally relevant outcomes. Finally, offering the program on work time strengthened these effects indirectly through greater changes in POS during the intervention period. This article provides evidence to researchers and organizational decision-makers that offering the LHWH program not only improves the health and well-being of employees but also improves important organizational outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Training’s influence on task performance and citizenship behaviour: does psychological ownership matter?

ABSTRACT Organisations are increasingly investing in the development of their human capital as a means to improve their organisational performance. Traditional approaches to examining the effects of training on employee performance have focused on exchange-based processes. Few have considered identity-based approaches. Drawing on Organisational Support Theory (OST) this study examines the mediating effect of psychological ownership in the relationship between training and employee performance. Based on data from a 125 employee-supervisor dayads our findings shows the the mediating effect of psychological ownership in the relationship between training and employee performance. Our study contributes to the HRD literature as it represents the first effort in linking training with employee ownership feelings.

Employer-Sponsored Career Development Practices and Employee Performance and Turnover: A Meta-Analysis

Organizational programs and policies are important facilitators of employees’ career development. However, organizations face a developmental paradox: Their career-aiding programs and policies might increase the employability of their employees, who might then leave the company. Guided by organizational support theory, we propose a theory-driven reciprocation view that explains why organization-sponsored career development practices might actually strengthen the current employment relationship. We argued that by offering career aids and resources, an organization can promote its employees’ perceptions of organizational support. These perceptions evoke reciprocation, manifested in strengthened organizational attachment that enhances job performance and lowers turnover. In a meta-analysis of over 1,000 articles, we found that employer-sponsored career development practices were related to employees’ job performance and turnover via the mechanisms of perceived organizational support and organizational attachment. Further, this relationship was even stronger when career development practices signaled greater care by being available (vs. used), institutionally embedded (vs. relational), and career focused (vs. job focused).

High performance work systems and perceived organizational support: The contribution of human resource department's organizational embodiment

AbstractIntegrating the literatures on strategic human resource management and organizational support theory, we examine the cross‐level relationship between high performance work systems (HPWS) at the team‐level and individual perceptions of organizational support (i.e., POS). In addition, we introduce a critical boundary condition, the HR department's organizational embodiment (HROE), which involves the extent to which employees identify the HR department with the organization. We propose that the cross‐level HPWS–POS relationship is moderated by HROE, such that the linkage between HPWS and POS is stronger when HROE is high. With a sample of 103 teams and 399 employees in South Korea, we find that HPWS utilization increases POS and that this relationship is stronger when HROE is high. We also find that HR department status and the favorable attitude of the HR head are antecedents to HROE. These findings suggest that HROE is a critical boundary condition for the relationship between HPWS and POS with subsequent effects on organizational commitment and job satisfaction.

Authentic leadership and Turnover Intention: The Role of PSS and Organizational Identification

Drawing on organizational support theory and social identity theory, we examine the effects of authentic leadership on employee turnover intention. Especially, we focus on the mediating role of perceived supervisor support (PSS) and the moderating role of organizational identification. Using data from 433 respondents in several business organizations in South Korea, we found that PSS completely mediated the relationship between authentic leadership and employee turnover intention. Moreover, organizational identification moderated the relationship between PSS and turnover intention, such that the relationship between PSS and turnover intention is stronger for employees with high organizational identification. Herein, we discuss the managerial implications and future research directions arising from our study.