Analysis

The Perceived Organizational Support (POS) Scale was developed by Eisenberger and colleagues in 1986. It assesses employees’ perceptions of the extent to which their organization values their contributions and cares about their well-being. The theory behind the scale suggests that when employees believe their organization supports and values them, they are more likely to feel obligated to reciprocate with positive attitudes and behaviors toward the organization.

Purpose

The purpose of the scale is to measure employees’ perceptions of the support they receive from their organization, which can influence their commitment, job satisfaction, and performance.

Scoring

The original scale by Eisenberger et al. included 36 statements, but a shorter version with 8 statements has also been developed for easier application. Participants are asked to respond to these statements using a Likert scale ranging from “1 = Strongly disagree” to “7 = Strongly agree.” The total score is calculated as the mean of all responses, with higher values indicating greater perceived organizational support.

References

Eisenberger, R., Huntington, R., Hutchison, S., & Sowa, D. (1986). Perceived Organizational Support. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71(3), 500–507.
Rhoades, L., & Eisenberger, R. (2002). Perceived Organizational Support: A Review of the Literature. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(4), 698–714.
Eisenberger, R., Fasolo, P., & Davis-LaMastro, V. (1990). Perceived Organizational Support and Employee Diligence, Commitment, and Innovation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 75(1), 51–59.
Shore, L. M., & Shore, T. H. (1995). Perceived Organizational Support and Organizational Justice. In R. Cropanzano & K. M. Kacmar (Eds.), Organizational Politics, Justice, and Support: Managing Social Climate at Work (pp. 149–164). Westport, CT: Quorum Books.
Wayne, S. J., Shore, L. M., & Liden, R. C. (1997). Perceived Organizational Support and Leader-Member Exchange: A Social Exchange Perspective. Academy of Management Journal, 40(1), 82–111.