Perceived supervisor support: Contributions to perceived organizational support and employee retention.

TLDR

The studies investigated how employees’ perception of supervisor support (PSS) relates to perceived organizational support (POS) and turnover. They found that PSS boosts POS—particularly when supervisors are seen as high-status—and that POS fully mediates the negative effect of PSS on turnover, indicating that supervisors identified with the organization enhance job retention.

Abstract

Three studies investigated the relationships among employees' perception of supervisor support (PSS), perceived organizational support (POS), and employee turnover. Study 1 found, with 314 employees drawn from a variety of organizations, that PSS was positively related to temporal change in POS, suggesting that PSS leads to POS. Study 2 established, with 300 retail sales employees, that the PSS-POS relationship increased with perceived supervisor status in the organization. Study 3 found, with 493 retail sales employees, evidence consistent with the view that POS completely mediated a negative relationship between PSS and employee turnover. These studies suggest that supervisors, to the extent that they are identified with the organization, contribute to POS and, ultimately, to job retention.