Perceived Organizational Support (POS)

What is perceived organizational support?

Perceived organizational support or POS is the degree to which employees believe their organization values them and/or cares about their overall well-being. It is a belief that the employer is committed to the socioemotional needs of the employees.

The concept of POS was formed from the Organizational Support Theory by Eisenberger and Rhoades. It is dependent on the needs fulfilled by the organization such as medical benefits, fair wages, and rewards and recognition.

Positive perceived organizational support leads to increased employee motivation and commitment toward the organization. It affects the attitude of employees towards their jobs and increases satisfaction and hence, higher productivity.

Why is perceived organizational support important?

Perceived organizational support enables employees to want to give back to the organization. It assures them that their efforts and dedication will be recognized and rewarded. On similar notions, the importance of organizational support manifests in terms of:

Increasing employee loyalty

Tourangeau and Cranley (2006) found that perceived support indirectly influences employees’ intentions to stay with their employer. Tumwesigye (2010) further demonstrated POS is positively linked to organizational commitment, and both commitment and support are negatively related to turnover intentions.

This means that when employees feel supported and committed, they are less likely to consider leaving the organization.

Improving the mental well-being of employees

Jawahar et al. (2007) found that when employees felt supported by their organization, they experienced less emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Additionally, this support helped reduce the negative impact of role conflict on emotional exhaustion.

Enhancing job satisfaction

Perceived organizational support is directly related to desirable treatments that employees get. This can manifest in the form of organizational rewards, positive job conditions, fair treatment, supervisor support, etc.

For instance, when employees are acknowledged for their contributions with bonuses or promotions, it reinforces their sense of value within the company.

Similarly, when work is distributed fairly and employees are supported in maintaining a healthy work-life balance, they are more likely to feel satisfied and committed to their job.

Such consistent positive experiences on the job foster a stronger connection to the organization, leading to higher job satisfaction and loyalty.

Boosting organizational success

When employees feel well-supported by their organization, they often respond with positive attitudes and behaviors that benefit the company (Eisenberger et al., 1986).

Research shows a strong link between perceived organizational support and organizational citizenship behavior. Asgari and Samah (2008) found that a 35% increase in organizational support leads to a 35% increase in these positive behaviors which in turn boosts organizational success.

What factors contribute to perceived organizational support?

The factors contributing to perceived organizational support are:

Satisfying compensation

Favorable incentives, such as competitive pay, indicate that an organization values its employees’ contributions. These rewards demonstrate concern and appreciation for workers, enhancing their perception of support and recognition from the company.

Related Read: Culture vs Compensation

Career growth opportunities

HR strategies that offer growth opportunities aligned with employees’ personal development goals can significantly enhance their perception of organizational support.

Employees want to develop their skills and achieve personal growth, beyond just fulfilling basic needs. Growth opportunities make them feel their potential is being nurtured and valued.

Supporting work-life balance

Work-life balance support is another crucial HR strategy that can boost perceived organizational support. When organizations provide understanding and assistance during challenging times, whether at work or home, employees perceive the organization as caring and supportive.

Building employer-employee relationship

Leadership plays a crucial role in shaping the perceptions of employees concerning organizational support. The interaction of the employer-employee relationship dynamically influences organizational performance.

The perceived organizational support increases when leaders provide discretionary rewards on the grounds of employees’ hard work. The actions by leaders supportive of employees come to heighten the idea that the organization is concerned and supportive of the employees.

What are the strategies for building perceived organizational support?

The best way to build perceived organizational support in your company would be to listen carefully to what your employees want. It depends on coming to a common ground on the needs of your employees while keeping in mind organizational goals.

Here are some proven strategies for building successful perceived support in a business:

Run a survey and gather feedback

While running any survey in your organization, ensure that it is anonymous so that employees can provide feedback without any fear. Some common queries related to POS in the survey could be:

• My organization genuinely cares about my well-being.
• I can rely on my organization for help when I have a problem.
• My organization values my opinions.
• My organization wouldn’t exploit me if given the chance.
• My organization supports me if I need life-rebalancing assistance.
• My organization shows little concern for me.
• My organization would forgive an honest mistake and guide maintaining self-worth when seeking help early.

Through surveys, measure the job satisfaction in your organization using methods like Job Descriptive Index (JDI).

Such feedback will give you important insights into the areas of improvement and the holes you could close to build perceived support.

Pay attention to grapevine communication

There’s so much an employee would rather tell their colleagues than the management. That’s where grapevine communication or simply watercooler chats come in handy.

Not all conversations would be insightful, but if you dig deeper, you’ll find valuable insights into employee concerns, morale, and potential issues that might not be openly discussed with management.

Appreciate your employees

If your organization does not have a rewards and recognition policy, it’s time to create one. RnR motivates employees to perform better in return for incentives other than the monthly salary.

Recognition has an emotional value attached to it, which leads to an increase in job satisfaction and ultimately, perceived support. It may not always be in the form of cash incentives. A simple certification of recognition or a social post could go a long way.

Frequently asked questions

1. What are examples of organizational support?

Examples of organizational support include providing competitive salaries, career development opportunities, work-life balance initiatives, access to mental health resources, recognition programs, and strong leadership that fosters a supportive work environment.

2. How to measure perceived organizational support?

Perceived organizational support (POS) is typically measured using surveys like the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support (SPOS), which assesses employee perceptions of how much the organization values their contributions and cares about their well-being.

3. What is leadership behavior in POS?

Leadership behavior in perceived organizational support (POS) involves how leaders interact with and support their employees. They demonstrate genuine concern for employee well-being, advocate for their needs, and create a work environment that fosters trust and respect.

4. What are the dimensions of POS?

The dimensions of POS include fairness, supervisor support, rewards and job conditions, and the organization’s recognition of employee contributions and well-being. These factors together influence how supported employees feel within the organization.