The relationship between employee engagement, perceived organisational support and outcome behaviours post organisational change

Abstract

Business, political and social landscapes are unpredictable and this results in organisations resorting to significant organisational change initiatives to remain relevant and sustainable. Employee engagement has been identified to promote favourable employee outcome behaviours that contribute to successful organisational change. This research study investigated the relationships between employee engagement, perceived organisational support (POS) and the employee outcome behaviours of intention to turnover and discretionary effort post organisational change. The research intention was to determine whether POS is an area that management can leverage to moderate the adverse discretionary behaviours of employees during periods of change, resource constraints and uncertainty. Data was collected from respondents (n = 118) via an online questionnaire and the data was analysed using quantitative methods. The research design was cross sectional. This study was conducted within a professional services division of an organisation that had undergone significant organisational change. The study found that employee engagement had a negative significant relationship with intention to turnover and a positive significant relationship with discretionary effort. POS was not a moderator in the relationship between employee engagement and the highlighted employee outcome behaviours. This research contributes empirically to employee engagement literature and organisational support theory.