Contribution of social support to employee psychological well-being: an exploratory mixed-methods case study
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Date
03/07/2013Author
Kowalski, Tina Helen Parkin
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Abstract
Stress and mental health issues are now the most common cause of workplace absence.
Increasing evidence points to the need for organisations to take steps to enhance well-being
at work for employees. Social support has been identified as one key factor affecting
employee psychological well-being, however, the definition and conceptualisation of the
term continues to be debated. To date, research examining the relationship between social
support and well-being at work tends to be predominantly quantitative and to prioritise work-based
sources of support above other sources of support. Few workplace interventions aimed
at improving employee well-being appear to have a specific focus on enhancing social
support.
This thesis presents findings from a mixed-methods case study of a large, public sector
organisation in Scotland. The study had four phases: an online survey (n=158), semi-structured
interviews (n=31), a diary phase (n=11) and a final interview (n=11).
Higher levels of social support were associated with a higher level of psychological well-being.
Findings highlighted the importance of various work and non-work based sources of
social support, such as peer support and support from friends, and various dimensions of
support too, such as ‘distant vs. proximal’ support. Potential negative effects of social
support were also identified, for example, when perceived as interfering. Women reported
higher levels of support and of positive mental well-being than did men. Interview and diary
data revealed a range of contextual, organisational and individual factors that affected both
access to and availability of social support, and the relationship between social support and
employee well-being. Recent organisational changes appeared to be particularly influential.
Employee opinion regarding existing organisational well-being initiatives varied on the basis
of whether the support was formal or informal and in terms of perceived versus received
support. Social support was valued highly by respondents with regard to improving
employee well-being. Open and honest communication, physical presence of support and
familiarity with context-specific knowledge were of particular pertinence.
This thesis contributes to knowledge in three ways. Substantively, the importance of
examining social support more holistically is highlighted in order to better understand the
relationship between social support and employee well-being. Methodologically, this mixed
methods approach proved fruitful in generating a richness and depth of data largely untapped
by previous, predominantly quantitative, studies. Finally, the findings have practical
implications for HR personnel and policy makers as they offer an insight into the
contribution of various sources and dimensions of social support to employee well-being, as
understood by employees.