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Factors of perceived organizational support: A conceptual study

Conference Paper · December 2020

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 Factors of perceived organizational support: A
conceptual study
Y.Thasika
Lecturer, Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Management
Studies and Commerce, University of Jaffna
*thasiyoges@gmail.com
Introduction
Perceived organizational support is an important construct in today’s competitive
world with established organizational benefits. Such a way it becomes more
important to identify the factors of perceived organizational support (Eisenberger
&Stinglhamber, 2011). Therefore this article makes an attempt to trace the factors
of perceived organizational support and add some value to the present study
literature by conducting a systematic review of the existing literature. The purpose
of this article is to provide a comprehensive overview of the factors of perceived
organizational support. A structured literature review is carried out to identify the
critical factors of perceived organizational support. Finally Identified factors of
perceived organizational support from previous studies have been summarized to
explain the current state of the concept.

Understanding the way employees perceive their relationship with their

organization has emerged as a major concern for organizational behaviour scholars
during the last decades (Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002). Therefore this literature
review survey reviewed journal articles relevant to perceived organizational
support. More specifically after the literature review on factors of perceived
organizational support, we can identify the different factors on perceived
organizational support. Even though in addition to these variables there are some
other factors would have an influence on perceived organizational support. So that
there is a need for future research to concentrate on these factors of perceived
organizational support in Sri Lankan context.

Methodology

A structured literature review was done to identify the critical factors of perceived
organizational support. For summarizing the literature around the concept
literature review method was adopted as it is an accepted strategy to review
concept (Chermack and passmore, 2005). The articles were sourced from an
electronic database.

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Factors of perceived organizational support

Perceived organizational support has received a lot of research attention since it

was introduced in 1986. Researchers have investigated the factors that lead to the
perceived organizational support among the employees in the western context.

Earlier Wayne et al. (1997) found perceived organizational support and Leader-
member exchange has a mutual influence on each other, they concluded that
Leader-Member exchange plays an important role in affecting employees'
perceptions of organizational support. In addition, they indicated the exchange
relationship both with the organization and immediate supervisors. With that, the
research has preceded the social exchange relationship and pattern of reciprocity
at the workplace.

The research conducted by Mulvey and others in 2000 using the technique of
structural equation analysis of data from two different field studies showed that
satisfaction with pay system does not pay levels to lead to greater perceived
organizational support. They have examined the pay level satisfaction and pay
system satisfaction. Consistent with this they found a positive relationship between
pay satisfaction and perceived organizational support.

Rhoades et al. (2001) article are titled "Affective commitment to the organization:
the contribution of perceived organizational support" also provided evidence that
supervisor support is predictive of Perceived organizational support. The results of
this study suggest that favourable outcomes of working conditions through
perceived organizational support enhance the affective commitment.

In addition, Rhoades et al (2001) argued that being recognized and rewarded fairly
would seem to signal that an organization cares about the well-being of the
employee and is willing to invest in them and found that perceptions of
organizational rewards and procedural justice predicted POS.

According to Rhoades and Eisenberger (2002), the Perceived organizational

support includes the different dimensions of beneficial treatments received by the
employees such as fairness, supervisor support, and organizational rewards and
favourable job conditions which lead to employee loyalty towards the
organization. In addition to this, the authors also suggested that providing potential
career opportunities such as training and promotions may increase the high level
of concern for employees and the recognition of their commitment.

Allen et al. (2003) studied the antecedents of perceived organizational support and
the role of perceived organizational support. The results were revealed and tested
in two samples via structural equation modelling. Final outcomes suggest that
perceptions of supportive human resources practices (participation in decision

306
making, the fairness of rewards, and growth opportunities) contribute to the
development of perceived organizational support.

Ambrose and Schminke (2003) studied the role of interactional justice climate and
moderated a mediation model how workgroup structure can enhance fair treatment
in an organization.

In addition, this trickle-down research demonstrates the relationship between

supervisors' perceptions and subordinates' responses. Further, they revealed that
interactional justice is positively related to organizational citizenship behaviour
and guide to perceived organizational support.

Weiliu (2004) this study connects the human resource management and
organizational behaviour literature and provides guidance on how organizations
can foster high levels of perceived support via implementation of appropriate HR
practices.

The result of a study by Lisa Silbert (2005) revealed how different properties of
tangible rewards can lead to an employee perception of organizational support.
The analysis found that when employees have positive sight towards a reward and
recall it frequently, they have increased levels of perceived organizational support.

According to Eisenberger &Stinglhamber, (2011) Organizations might enhance

POS by means of a variety of human resources practices and policies such as by
assuring employees that their jobs are secure, by offering valuable training or
developmental programs that promote employees’ personal growth, and/or by
eliminating continual work overloads.

Beheshtifar et al (2012) study found a number of factors strongly associated with

perceived organizational support. Results showed that there is a meaningful
relationship between the perceived organizational support (and all its dimensions:
supervisor support, justice, organizational rewards, and working conditions) with
employees' work positive attitudes.

Yan Zhang et al (2012) Taking an inductive approach, Authors of this article

identified organizational antecedents of Perceived organizational support in the
People's Republic of China (PRC). The results of their research showed that the
major antecedents of Perceived organizational support in the PRC included some
common factors (e.g. procedural justice and supervisor support) as well as cultural-
specific factors (e.g. care for disadvantaged employees and care for employees'
family).

Wijewantha and Sangarandeniya (2014) proposed and tested a model connects

perceived work-life benefits with organizational citizenship behaviour mediated

307
by perceived organizational support based on the social exchange theory. The
study is done among 212 female teachers of the international school located in the
western province of Sri Lanka. The results of this study revealed that the perceived
usefulness of work-life benefits would promote the extra effort of workers in return
for extra useful benefits.

Cheng Lee., et al (2017) this study examined the relationship between

organizational justice and organizational commitment with perceived
organizational support. Findings showed that all four dimensions of organizational
justice except procedural justice were associated with perceived organizational
support.

Table 1. key studies in perceived organizational support

FACTORS CITATION
Leader-Member exchange Wayne et al. (1997)
Satisfaction with the pay system Mulvey et al (2000)
Working conditions Rhoades et al. (2001)
supervisor support, organizational Rhoades et al. (2001)
rewards and procedural justice
Career opportunities, fairness, Rhoades and Eisenberger (2002)
supervisor support, and organizational
rewards and favourable job conditions
participation in decision making, the Allen et al. (2003)
fairness of rewards, and growth
opportunities
Interactive justice Ambrose and Schminke (2003)
Appropriate HR practices. Weiliu (2004)
Tangible Rewards Silbert, L., 2005.
procedural justice and supervisor Yan Zhang et al (2012)
support
Supervisor support, justice, Beheshtifar,et al( 2012)
organizational rewards, and working
conditions.
Perceived benefit usefulness Wijewantha&Sangarandeniya (2014)
Organizational support Cheng Lee., et al (2017)

Discussion and conclusion

This article tried to explore and trace the factors of perceived organizational
support. This review of the article highlights the factors from different authors.
The organization should work at these factors of perceived organizational support.
Along with this notion, Organizations are investing huge amounts in the provision
of such support, but the outcomes of such investments are still questionable.

308
Therefore identify the critical factors on perceived organizational support and
clarify why these critical factors are more suitable for Sri Lankan context through
the exploratory research methods is needful for future researches. Additionally,
most of these studies were primarily conducted in the western. However, Sri Lanka
has a great difference in culture, political, and economic systems. These
differences offer some relative distinctions from the western countries. Under this
context, we can explore what critical factors of POS could be generalized to Sri
Lankan context.

References

Allen, D.G., Shore, L.M. and Griffeth, R.W., 2003. The role of perceived
organizational support and supportive human resource practices in the turnover
process. Journal of management, 29(1), pp.99-118.

Ambrose, M. L., &Schminke, M. (2003). Organization structure as a moderator of

the relationship between procedural justice, interactional justice, perceived
organizational support, and supervisory trust. Journal of applied
psychology, 88(2), 295.

Beheshtifar, M., Ali-Nezhad, H. and Nekoie-Moghadam, M., 2012. Investigation

of perceived organizational support on employees’ positive attitudes toward
work. Interdisciplinary journal of contemporary research in business, 4(8),
pp.432-442.

Chermack, T.J. and Passmore, D.L., 2005. Using journals and databases in
research. Research in organizations: Foundations and methods of inquiry, pp.401-
418.

Eisenberger, R. and Stinglhamber, F., 2011. Perceived organizational support:

Fostering enthusiastic and productive employees. American Psychological
Association.

Lee, O.C., Yusof, A., Geok, S.K. and Omar, Z., 2017. Volunteerism,
Organizational Justice and Organizational Commitment: The Case of Sports
Coaches in Malaysian Schools. International Journal of Academic Research in
Business and Social Sciences, 7(7), pp.387-401.

Liu, W., 2004. Perceived organizational support: Linking human resource

management practices with important work outcomes (Doctoral dissertation).

Miceli, M.P. and Mulvey, P.W., 2000. Consequences of satisfaction with pay
systems: Two field studies. Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and
Society, 39(1), pp.62-87.

309
 Rhoades, L. and Eisenberger, R., 2002. Perceived organizational support: a review
of the literature. Journal of applied psychology, 87(4), p.698.

Rhoades, L., Eisenberger, R. and Armeli, S., 2001. Affective commitment to the
organization: The contribution of perceived organizational support. Journal of
applied psychology, 86(5), p.825.

Silbert, L., 2005. The effect of tangible rewards on the perceived organizational
support (Master's thesis, University of Waterloo).

Wayne, S.J., Shore, L.M. and Liden, R.C., 1997. Perceived organizational support
and leader-member exchange: A social exchange perspective. Academy of
Management Journal,40(1), pp.82-111.

Wijewantha, P. and Sangarandeniya, Y.M.S.W.V., 2014. Impact of Perceived

Work-Life Benefit Usefulness on Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) the
Mediating Role of Perceived Organizational Support (POS).

Zhang, Y., Farh, J.L. and Wang, H., 2012. Organizational antecedents of employee
perceived organizational support in China: a grounded investigation. The
International Journal of Human Resource Management, 23(2), pp.422-446.

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