Perceived organizational support

Stinglhamber, Florence [UCL] Caesens, Gaëtane [UCL]

Perceived organizational support (POS) refers to employees’ perceptions of the organization’s general (positive or negative) orientation toward them or the extent to which the organization favors them or not. More precisely, POS was defined as “employees’ beliefs about the extent to which the organization values their contributions and cares about their well-being” (Eisenberger et al., 1986, p. 501). Since its emergence in the literature in 1986, this construct has generated considerable interest, so that hundreds of empirical studies have been conducted on the topic. The objectives pursued through this chapter are multiple. After presenting the theoretical framework within which POS is embedded, we will describe its nomological network, both in terms of its antecedents and its consequences. We will then present the few empirical studies that have addressed cultural differences and their impact on research findings related to POS. We will discuss the measurement of the POS construct in the next section. We will continue by discussing the current trends within the POS literature. Then, we will provide HR professionals with practical recommendations derived from the substantial literature on POS. Finally, we will provide a critique of the field and propose some perspectives for future research.