Supervisor Support in the Work Place: Legitimacy and Positive Affectivity

Abstract

The authors tested 3 hypotheses regarding supervisor support in the work place. The validation hypothesis predicts that when employees are supported by their coworkers and the larger organization, they also receive more support from their supervisors. The positive affectivity hypothesis predicts that employees with positive dispositions receive more supervisor support because they are more socially oriented and likable. The moderation hypothesis predicts a joint multiplicative effect between validation and positive affectivity. An assessment of the hypotheses among a sample of 1,882 hospital employees in Korea provided strong support for the validation and moderation hypotheses.