POS: organizational support theory
Organizational support theory (OST: Eisenberger, Huntington, Hutchinson, & Sowa, 1986) holds that in order to meet socio-emotional needs and to assess the benefits of increased work effort, employees form a general perception concerning the extent to which the organization values their contributions and cares about their well-being. Such perceived organizational support (POS) would increase employees’ felt obligation to help the organization reach its objectives, their affective commitment to the organization, and their expectation that improved performance would be rewarded. Behavioral outcomes of POS would include increases in in-role and extra-role performance and decreases in stress and withdrawal behaviors such as absenteeism and turnover.
According to organizational support theory, employees tend to assign human-like characteristics to organization and thus encourage the development of POS (Eisenberger et al., 1986). Agents acting on behalf of the organizations are often perceived as acting on organization’s intentions rather than their personal motives (Levinson, 1965). This personification of the organization is enhanced by the organization’s legal, moral, and financial responsibility for the actions of its agents; by organizational policies, norms, and culture that provide continuity and prescribe role behaviors; and by the power the organization’s agents exert over individual employees. Due to this personification of organizations, employees base their judgments of their perceived value to the organization on how favorably the organization treats them.
When the organization gives resources to employees in a voluntary manner rather than under circumstances beyond their control, employees will view such aid as being genuinely valued and respected by the organization (Cotterell, Eisenberger, & Speicher, 1992). Based on this principle, POS will be more effectively enhanced if employees view organizational rewards and favorable job conditions such as pay, promotions, job enrichment, and influence over organizational policies as voluntary behaviors of organizations (Eisenberger et al., 1986).
Since supervisors are often viewed as organizational agents, favorable treatment from supervisors should enhance employees’ POS, however, this relationship is mediated by employees’ perception of the degree to which supervisors’ actions are designated by organizations, as opposed to their own.
According to organizational support theory, employees tend to assign human-like characteristics to organization and thus encourage the development of POS (Eisenberger et al., 1986). Agents acting on behalf of the organizations are often perceived as acting on organization’s intentions rather than their personal motives (Levinson, 1965). This personification of the organization is enhanced by the organization’s legal, moral, and financial responsibility for the actions of its agents; by organizational policies, norms, and culture that provide continuity and prescribe role behaviors; and by the power the organization’s agents exert over individual employees. Due to this personification of organizations, employees base their judgments of their perceived value to the organization on how favorably the organization treats them.
When the organization gives resources to employees in a voluntary manner rather than under circumstances beyond their control, employees will view such aid as being genuinely valued and respected by the organization (Cotterell, Eisenberger, & Speicher, 1992). Based on this principle, POS will be more effectively enhanced if employees view organizational rewards and favorable job conditions such as pay, promotions, job enrichment, and influence over organizational policies as voluntary behaviors of organizations (Eisenberger et al., 1986).
Since supervisors are often viewed as organizational agents, favorable treatment from supervisors should enhance employees’ POS, however, this relationship is mediated by employees’ perception of the degree to which supervisors’ actions are designated by organizations, as opposed to their own.
Here is a video explaining social exchange theory and organizational support theory.