a social influence analysis of perceived organizational support

positions had perceptions of organizational support that were significantly different than those of
employees who did not hold leadership positions (ß = -.083, p ≤ .01).
Besides the control variables, a number of unhypothesized significant relationships
emerged. In the reciprocated ties analysis, weak role model ties were positively related to
similarity in perceived organizational support (ß = .211, p ≤ .05) as were strong role model ties
(ß = .310, p ≤ .01). These results that employees had perceptions of organizational support to
other employees whom they considered to be role models, but were 1) not friends, and 2) not
advice contacts. Since both weak and strong role models were influential, these results indicate
that even role models whom employees interacted with relatively infrequently were influential in
terms of similarity in POS.
Several unhypothesized significant relationships emerged in the non-reciprocated ties
analysis as well. Interestingly, weak friendship ties between employees were negatively related
to similarity in perceived organizational support among employees (ß = -.301, p ≤ .10), although
this relationship was only marginally significant. This finding suggests that employees
perceptions of support were dissimilar than those of friends whom they interacted with
infrequently. Weak role model ties were also marginally significantly related to similarity in
perceived organizational support (ß = .217, p ≤ .10), indicating that employees developed similar
perceptions of support to those of employees they considered role models and interacted with
infrequently.
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