The impact of perceived subordinate support

Existing research indicates that perceived support (Eisenberger, Huntington, Hutchison, & Sowa, 1986) is positively related to job performance and can influence perceptions of support by those with whom they interact (Eisenberger, Armeli, Rexwinkel, Lynch, & Rhoades, 2001). While there is a large body of research examining employees’ perceived support from their supervisors (i.e., perceived supervisor support: PSS; Eisenberger, Stinglhamber, Vandenberghe, Sucharski, & Rhoades, 2002) and the organization (i.e., perceived organizational support: POS, Eisenberger et al., 2001), little research has examined supervisors’ perceptions of support from their subordinates. The proposed study evaluates the relationship between Perceived Subordinate Support (PSubS; O’Leary, 2012) and organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions, and the moderating impact of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX; Wilson, Sin, & Conlon, 2010) on these relationships. Participants will be supervisors at a local manufacturing organization (N = 150). We hypothesize that supervisors who feel supported by their subordinates will express higher levels of organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and lower turnover intentions. We also expect the supervisor’s level of LMX with their immediate supervisor to moderate these relationships