Support at Work and its Relationship with Employee Performance: Critical Insights for Early Scholars

Hussain Ahmed Mughal, "Support at Work and its Relationship with Employee Performance: Critical Insights for Early Scholars”, Annals of Contemporary Developments in Management & HR (ACDMHR), Print ISSN: 2632-7686, Online ISSN: 26327694, pp. 16-21, Vol. 1, No. 3, 1st November 2019, Published by International Association of Educators and Researchers (IAER), DOI: 10.33166/ACDMHR.2019.03.002, Available: http://acdmhr.theiaer.org/archive/v1/v1n3/p2.html. Review Article


Introduction
Support at work, popularly known as organizational support is considered to be an important component when it comes to enhancing employee performance. Results from a recent study have underlined that employees who perceive higher organizational support, they tend to perform better.
Since there is a cooperation and support from the organization towards individual employees which this leads towards individuals perceiving enhanced performance. In the views of Tsai et al., (2015) that organizational support helps employees to develop and grow further in their performance which also strengthens their loyalty with the workplace. Study by Santos et al., (2016) has also outlined significant impact of organizational support for employee performance. In the views of Karatepe (2012), organizational support can induce a significantly positive influence on the overall work environment thus, enhancing a positive work environment. Consequently, study by Chen and Eldridge (2011) on the employees in China underlined that organizational support can notably www.acdmhr.theiaer.org influence employee performance. Henceforth, it can be said that organizational support can make a positively significant impact on employee performance and can help the organization to enhance other employee outcomes as well in the long run.
Individuals could be motivated to push themselves to think for the long-term effects of their work approaches and behaviors through focusing on performance plans. In this, it is important that relevant information regarding objective performance targets should be provided in an appropriate manner. the information should also be accurate and realistic. Accordingly, it is also important that goal setting should also be induced through responsive and accurate feedback. Conclusively, in order to intensify performance motivation, work involvement must be emphasized through robust job challenges, professional activities, and leadership opportunities (London & Mone, 1987).
Accepting the suggestions, Noe and Bachuber (1990) outlined that employees are higher and focused towards performance motivation when their managers are supportive and provide responsive performance targets and feedback on their outcome aspects.

Organizational Support
According to Suazo and Turnley (2010), organizational support is referred as an expression from social exchange theory which was forwarded by Eisenberger et al., (1986). The theory described that the extent to which employees feel the extent of commitment of organizations towards the welfare and betterment of employees towards them.
Additionally, previous studies including Tsai et al., (2011) have also highlighted that organizational support can be of great significance when it comes to job performance, satisfaction, commitment, and career success (Hochwarter et al., 2003). Such findings can be evidently understood since when employees perceive positive support and facilitation from organization, it would create a harmonizing environment whereby employees would work with motivation and satisfaction. Such perceptions also foster employees` abilities towards enhancing and achieving organizational objectives.
On the grounds of these empirical evidence, the current study proposes and aims a strong connection between POS and employee's performance (Zhong et al., 2016). It is also important to note that studies like Karatepe (2011), Chen and Eldridge (2011) and Suazo and Turnley (2010) have indicated towards the need for empirical attention on organizational factors in the context of employee performance. These scholars have outlined that employees on the basis of organizational support, outline and gauge organization`s attention and care for employees; policies, procedures and norms which ultimately results in fostering employee performance (Chen & Eldridge, 2011). This means that when the organization fails to provide support as per expectation, the level of achievement from employees also drops down. This, hence, also raises a question as to whether organizations should just focus on the achievement of their goals and targets or should also strive for the pursuit of better employee performance.
Connected to the study, the perception of organizational support refers to employees` beliefs regarding the extent to which an organization recognizes and cares about the contribution of employees and their well-being. This definition was forwarded by Eisenberger et al., (1986), and is considered to be the most valid and concrete of all.
www.acdmhr.theiaer.org Organization support is the backbone for developing subordinate-supervisor relationship at the workplace (Kalidass & Bahron, 2015). These studies have underlined that sense of esteem, emotional support and affiliation is highly significant attributes at the workplace (Kurtessis et al., 2017) and such outputs at the end result in employee performance. According to Pohl and Galletta (2017), organization support infuses sense of pride and willingness to do more for the business. Moreover, employees expect to be recognized for their efforts and they perceive this through the level of support and facilitation given by the organization.
In Parallel, it has also been noticed that in some enterprises, social support from supervisors comes in the shape of help related to information, counseling, mentoring, and even challenging work tasks which could help the employee to grow further (Shore & Wayne, 1993). Similarly, Dreher and Ash (1990) underlined that well balanced and managed mentorship is concerned with objective as well as subjective measures of employee performance. Maertz et al., (2007) in his study found that supervisor support can considerably foster senior managers performance. Similarly, Armeli et al., (1998) in the recent study highlighted that supervisor support can have a high magnitude impact on enhancing individual outcomes. The study also outlined that supporting subordinates helps to establish a conducive working environment particularly for employees to develop their performance for responsive success.
Henceforth, it is evidently logical to propose that perceived organizational support could lead to greater prospects and satisfaction. This also suggests that organizations need to invest time and effort in creating and cultivating a supportive work environment. Accordingly, it is also understandable that lack of resources can potentially hinder the provision of responsive resources for organizations. In conclusion, organizational support can dominantly enhance individual performance success provided, necessary support resources are adequately available.

Organizational Support and Employee Performance
Perceived organizational support (POS) denotes to the level and measure to which employees believe that their organization recognizes, support and facilitates employees and their efforts (Eisenberger et al., 1990). Social exchange theory focuses on supportive behaviors (Eisenberger et al., 2002), and outlines how employees can positively reciprocate for the responsively positive inputs that they receive. In the views of Tremblay, Dahan, and Gianecchini (2014) that support within organization can foster employee behaviors encourages employees in boosting their employee performance (Ahmed, Mozammel & Ahmed, 2018;Umrani, Kura & Ahmed, 2018).
Accordingly, Loi et al., (2006) have found that employees who perform well are the ones who are highly supported at work. This implies that hen employees who perform well are generally the ones with considerable organizational support. Conventionally, supervisors that provide support and guidance to their subordinates are better in boosting work willingness and engagement amongst the employees thus, resulting in enhanced employee performance (Umrani, Mahmood & Ahmed, 2016). DeConinck (2010) have highlighted that support provided by supervisors may be in the shape of career-based guidance, support on work matters and helping them in challenging tasks. This may also include providing opportunities for learning which hence results in enhancing performance Sangakala, Ahmed & Pahi, 2016 The article has highlighted that organizational support for employees in all possible aspects plays a significant role in boosting performance. Furthermore, according to Thompson and Prottas (2006) also found significant relationship between supervisor support and employee outcomes.
Organizations require employees to be honest towards their duties and responsibilities which can be best obtained through receiving responsive support from the organization and supervising authorities. Thus, the current study proposes that organizational support will have a positive and strong connection with employee performance (Khalid, Ahmed, Tundikbayeva & Ahmed, 2019).

Prepositions and Conceptual Framework:
Based on the critical appraisal of the study, the current article proposes the following relationships for investigation: P1: There will be a relationship between organizational support and employee performance.

Conclusion
Conclusively, the present paper has underlined that organizational support is vital for businesses and can make a considerable impact on boosting employees` performance. The study has worked to propose that through developing responsive organizational support features, employees could be notably facilitated which ultimately results in enhancing their performance. The paper has also concluded that supervisors, managers and top management have a major role to play in fostering employee performance