Perceived Organizational Support

The term perceived organizational support (POS) refers to employees’ perceptions of the extent to which their organization, as a whole, values their contributions and cares about their well-being. For example, employees with high POS are likely to believe that the organization they work for “has their back,” shows appreciation and acknowledges their extra efforts, and would help them out if needed. On the other hand, employees with low POS are likely to feel as if their organization would not be there for them if they needed help, does not show concern for them, and does not take pride in their accomplishments.

Commonly studied predictors of POS include treatment by organizational members (e.g., supervisors), employee–organization relationship quality (e.g., fair treatment), and human resource practices (e.g., family-supportive policies). ...