Antecedents and consequences of nurse managers' perceptions of organizational support

Prior research on the theory surrounding Perceived Organization Support (POS) asserts that an employee's perception of organizational support is driven by management behaviors and organizational policies and that POS increases when employees perceive that the organization is providing rewards, enrichment opportunities, and a positive workplace. In this study, nurse managers reported adequate rewards and respect as well as high levels of autonomy. Despite these positive findings, 58% of managers reported high levels of burnout suggesting perhaps, that a high level of POS increases resistance to job strain. Organizational characteristics most strongly related to POS were, in rank order, rewards for effort, respect, job security, autonomy, and, lastly, monetary gratification. Employee attitudes, performance levels, and health outcomes were better in employees with higher POS.