Exploring perceived organizational support: A PRISMA-based systematic literature review of theoretical foundations and organizational applications (2012–2025)

Aristya, Lana
Al Musadieq, Mochammad
Prasetya, Arik

Wacana, Jurnal Sosial dan Humaniora
Article in Press: WACANA

Objective: This systematic review investigates the theoretical foundations and organizational applications of Perceived Organizational Support (POS), focusing on how employees’ perceptions of organizational support influence attitudes, behaviors, and performance outcomes across multiple industry sectors. Design/Methods/Approach: This study adopts a PRISMA-based Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach. A total of 103 peer-reviewed articles were retrieved from the Scopus database covering the period 2012–2025. The review process followed the PRISMA stages of identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion, with articles selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria to ensure relevance and methodological rigor. The complete search strategy, including search strings and selection procedures, is described in the Methods section. Bibliometric analysis was conducted using VOSviewer to map co-authorship networks, keyword co-occurrence, and citation patterns. Findings: The results indicate that POS is shaped by both individual-level factors, such as job autonomy, leadership style, and trust in management, and organizational-level factors, including Human Resource Management (HRM) practices and organizational support systems. Elevated POS is consistently associated with reduced turnover intention, higher employee engagement, stronger organizational commitment, increased innovation, and improved job performance. Social Exchange Theory (SET) remains the most frequently applied theoretical framework, while the IT/technology, healthcare, and education sectors represent the dominant research contexts. Originality/Value: This review integrates fragmented POS literature into a coherent framework and highlights gaps in theoretical application and geographical context. In particular, Conservation of Resources Theory and Job Demands–Resources Theory remain underutilized, while non-Western organizational contexts are still limited. The study contributes to developing a more comprehensive understanding of POS in modern organizational environments. Practical/Policy Implication: Organizations should strengthen employee perceptions of support by implementing supportive leadership practices, responsive HRM systems, and transparent organizational policies. Creating psychologically safe environments is essential, particularly in hybrid and remote work settings, to sustain positive employee outcomes.