Perceived Organizational Support

Conceptual Overview

Emotionally committed employees tend to exhibit behaviors that benefit organizations, such as enhanced performance, reduced absenteeism and tardiness, and more prosocial behaviors, such as helping and cooperating. For those reasons and more, employee dedication [Page 1230]and commitment to the organization are highly valued by employers. However, employees focus their concern on the organization's commitment to them. Benefits such as pay, promotion, respect, and approval are highly valued by the employee and are expected in return for acceptable performance and behavior. POS is consistently related to employees' increased job performance, organizational commitment, organizational citizenship behaviors, and reduced turnover and absenteeism.

POS has its roots in social exchange theory and organizational support theory. In 1960, Gouldner suggested social exchange relationships are based on a reciprocity norm, which obliges the receiver of favorable treatment to return the favor. Favorable treatment can involve such resources as money, services, information, approval, respect, and liking. Etzioni first extended this approach to organizations in 1961, suggesting employee-employer relationships may be viewed as the trade of employee effort and loyalty for socioemotional benefits and tangible resources. Employees receiving favorable treatment from their organization are obligated through the reciprocity norm to compensate their employer in ways that are valued by the organization. According to social exchange theory, meeting this obligation allows employees to maintain a positive self-image, obtain favorable treatment from the organization, and avoid the social stigma of violating reciprocity.

Drawing on social exchange theory in 1986, Eisenberger and colleagues proposed organizational support theory, which supposes that to ascertain the organization's readiness to reward increased work effort and to meet socioemotional needs, employees develop global beliefs regarding the extent to which the organization appreciates their contributions and cares about their well-being (i.e., POS). According to organizational support theory, employees' tendency to attribute the organization with humanlike characteristics promotes the development of POS. Due to this personification of the organization, employees view the favorable or unfavorable treatment that they receive from the organization as an indication that the organization favors or disfavors them individually.

The reciprocity norm not only creates an obligation for the organization to repay the employees' rewarding efforts, but it also creates an obligation on the part of the employees. In order to help the organization reach its objectives and show concern for the organization's welfare, employees are obligated to increase valued work behaviors, such as heightening performance, and decrease negative work behaviors, such as turnover and absenteeism. This type of healthy exchange relationship benefits both the organization (e.g., increased commitment and performance and reduced turnover) and the employee (e.g., increased positive mood and job satisfaction resulting from care and concern implied in POS).

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