Factors affecting helping behaviors of employees at FPT corporation

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM



RESEARCH PROJECT
(BMBR5103)
(FACTORS AFFECTING HELPING BEHAVIORS
OF EMPLOYEES AT FPT CORPORATION)

STUDENT FULL NAME
STUDENT ID
INTAKE
ADVISOR NAME & TITLE

: PHAM THI NGOC LAN
: CGS00018252
: MAY, 2014
: DR NGUYEN THE KHAI

HO CHI MINH CITY, August 2015


Business Research Methods

2

ADVISOR’S ASSESSMENT

………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………

ADVISOR’S SIGNATURE
(August 2015)

NGUYEN THE KHAI (DBA)

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan


Business Research Methods

3

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My work on this dissertation could not have achieved without the support of the
professors, colleagues, and friends in the Department of Management and
Organization at the OUM- Hutech University, and the love and encouragement of
my family.
I am especially grateful to my professors, Dr. Khai Nguyen, who provided
continuous support and help, offered constructive feedback and helpful advice for
my research.
Thanks to all professors and friends in the department who provided strong support

and special care for me at the dissertation stage.
Thanks to the participants of this study and the executives of the participating FPT
company for their coöperation.

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan


Business Research Methods

4

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................. 7
CHAPTER I - INTRODUCTION
1.1 COMPANY BRIEF INTRODUCTION…………………………………….......8
1.2 FPT ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE……………………………………..9
1.3 RESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENT..…………………………………….10
1.4 PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH………………………………….………….11
1.5 SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH………………………………………………...11
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF RESEARCH…………………………………………….12
1.7 LIMITATION OF THE RESEARCH…………………………………………12
CHAPTER II – LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 DEFINITION OF CONSTRUCT……………………………………………..13
2.1.1 HELPING BEHAVIORS……………………………………………………13
2.1.2 JOB SATISFACTION RELATIVE TI EXPECTATION…………………...19
2.1.3 SUPERVISORY SUPPORT………………………………………………...20
2.1.4 PERCEIVED ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT……………………………21
2.1.5 CAREER COMMITMENT………………………………………………….24
2.2 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES………………………………………………….25
2.3 CONCEPTUAL RESEARCH MODEL……………………………………….26

CHAPTER III – RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 DATA COLLECTION………………………………………………………...27
3.2 MEASURE OF EACH CONSTRUCT………………………………………..28
3.2.1 HELPING BEHAVIORS……........................................................................28
3.2.2 JOB SATISFACTION RELATIVE TI EXPECTATION…………………...29
3.2.3 SUPERVISORY SUPPORT………………………………………………...30
3.2.4 CAREER COMMITMENT………………………………………………….31
3.2.5 PERCEIVED ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT……………………………32
3.3 DATA ANALYSIS…………………………………………………………….34
CHAPTER IV – RESEARCH FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan


Business Research Methods

5

4.1 CRONBACH’S ALPHA………………………………………………………35
4.2 RELIABILITY STATISTICS…………………………………………………37
4.2.1 MAIN CONSTRUCT – HELPING BEHAVIORS………………………...37
4.2.2 CONSTRUCT - JOB SATISFACTION RELATIVE TI EXPECTATION…37
4.2.3 CONSTRUCT - SUPERVISORY SUPPORT………………………………38
4.2.4 CONSTRUCT - PERCEIVED ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT………….38
4.2.5 CAREER COMMITMENT………………………………………………...38
4.3 DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS…………………………………………………39
4.4 HYPOTHESIS TESTING RESULTS……………………………………........40
4.4.1 PROPOSED HYPOTHESIS H140
4.4.2 PROPOSED HYPOTHESIS H2……………………………………………...41
4.2.3

PROPOSED HYPOTHESIS H3…………………………………………..42

4.2.4

PROPOSED HYPOTHESIS H4…………………………………………..40

CHAPTER V:
DISCUSSION……………………………………………………………………..44
TABLE
Tables 1 Time table for data collection progress……………………………………...35
Tables 2 Cronbach's Alpha- Internal consistency……………………………………..36
Tables 3 Cronbach’s Alpha of Helping Behaviors…………………………………….37
Tables 4 Cronbach’s Alpha of Job satisfaction relative to expectation……………37
Tables 5 Cronbach’s Alpha of Supervisory support…………………………………..38
Tables 6 Cronbach’s Alpha of Perceived Organizational support………………….38
Tables 7 Cronbach’s Alpha of Career Commitment…………………………………..38
Tables 8 Reliability Statistic of Cronbach’s Alpha……………………………………39
Tables 9 Descriptive Statistics……………………………………………………………39
Tables 10 Model Summary .............................................................................. …... 41
Tables 11 ANOVA………………………………………………………………………….41
Tables 12 Coefficients …….………………………………………………………………42
Tables 13 Measurement of Helping Behaviours ………………………………………51

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan


Business Research Methods

6

Tables 14 Measurement of Job Satisfaction Relative to Expectation ………………52
Tables 15 Measurement of Supervisory Support ………………………………………53
Tables 16 Measurement of Career Commitment ………………………………………54
Tables 17 Perceived Organizational support..…………………………………………55
FIGURE
Figures 1 FPT Organizational Structure………………………………………………..9
Figures 2 Diagram decision of helping…………………………………………………17
Figures 3 Conceptual Research Model of Helping Behaviors……………………….27
REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………...47
APPENDIX
APPENDIX 1: SURVEY………………………………………………………….50
APPENDIX 2:
PRESENTATION…………………………………………………………………58

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan


Business Research Methods

7

ABSTRACT
The main aim of this research was to find variables that explain analyse relationship
between Job Satisfaction Relative To Expectation, Supervisory Support, Perceived
Organizational Support, Career Commitment and Helping Behaviors among
employees in FPT company. That is way to find the factors influence to the Helping
Behaviors of employees working at FPT company.
This research project will use Business Research Methods to determine Helping
Behaviors and what other main factors influences Helping Behaviors.

And this research also was conducted by quantitative method with the data of 350
employees at FPT to collect the ideas and comments of employees on Helping
Behaviors. Next, the result of these surveys shall be statistically analyzed by
software SPSS version 20 (copyright of IBM) to analyse the data. Hypotheses used
this research include five constructs: one dependent construct (Helping Behaviors)
and four independent constructs (Job Satisfaction Relative to Expectation,
Supervisory Support, Career Commitment, Perceived Organizational Support ). I
hope the results of this research help the CEO; managers of FPT have some
reference angle in human resource management to improve and increase the quality
of human resource based on Helping Behaviors of employees as well as clear
perception that Helping Behaviors of employees will impact on working
effectiveness, improving its policies in order to create a good working environment
competitiveness of the company in the Vietnam market.
Keywords: Job Satisfaction Relative to Expectation, Supervisory Support,
Perceived Organizational Support, Career Commitment and Helping Behaviors.

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan


Business Research Methods

8

CHAPTER I – INTRODUCTION FPT CORPORATION
1.1 COMPANY BRIEF INTRODUCTION
Established on 9/13/1988, FPT Information Technology and Telecommunications is
among the largest private enterprises in Vietnam. It leads the market with over US $
1.2 billion in revenue (2012), with the core business areas in the field of
Information Technology and Telecommunications, FPT provides service to 63
provinces in Vietnam, constantly expanding Global Marketplace.

FPT has the presence in 19 countries around the world, such as Japan, USA, UK,
France, Germany, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam,etc.
After 26 years of operation, now, FPT is the No. 1 company in Vietnam in the
fields of Software, System Integration, IT Services, Manufacturing and Distribution
of IT products, IT products, IT Retail. Besides, FPT also owns a university
specialized in training Information.
FPT has developed the potentials and the cooperation spirit of all members, focus
on attracting talents.
December 31st, 2014, FPT’s total number of employees was over 24,000, in which
there were more than 8,500 engineers, programmers and technology professionals
with international qualifcations. FPT is proud to will be home of the largest
community of IT engineers in Vietnam, IT engineers technology experts.
FPT has strived to master related technologies in all operating segments and has
achieved thousands of important certifcates granted by leading international
technology corporations. This has established a solid ground for FPT to
continuously create new value-added services for customers and consumers.
FPT leading technology corporation in Vietnam, have young employees under the
ages of 30 (57.6%), stable and highly qualified workforce. Human resources are the
core value which enables FPT to constantly generate added value for customers.
There were more than 600 foreign staff.

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan


Business Research Methods

1.2 FPT ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Boad of

shareholder
meetings
Boad of
supervisors

Boad of
directors

Boad of
managements

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan

9


Business Research Methods

10

1.3 RESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENT
Today's service economy and the increased use of teams work skill in the
workplace of FPT company, have led to increased expectations for FPT employees.
Not only are FPT employees expected to be flexible, have problem-solving skills
and good social skills, but they are also expected to have Helping Behaviors skills.
These interpersonal Helping Behaviors characterize contextual performance.
Evaluate the construct of Helping Behaviors, where the latter will be defined as
behavior that is a part of one's prescribed work role. It will be intended to support
the company and to help people who are the parts of the company.
To keep helping employees on a long-term basis, Helping Behaviors in the form of

team support from coworkers and supervisors is of utmost importance, as these two
sources of support are related to enhance well-being, most often in the form of job
satisfaction.
Positive factors such as support from supervisors have a positive influence on
engagement, a form of work-related well-being.
Perceived Organizational Support helps to enhance this well-being by counteracting
the negative influences of stress. People experience certain emotions because they
subscribe meaning to events that are expected to influence well-being. When being
applied to the context of supervisor Helping Behaviors, it can be hypothesized that
the difference in meaning or motives people subscribe to these behaviors can evoke
different emotions, which can be positive or negative.
Since positive affect are components of a specific type of well-being - namely
subjective well-being, different motives subscribed to Helping Behaviors is related
to differences in well-being.
In this research, Support Supervisors, Perceived Organizational Support, alongside
consideration of Job Satisfaction Relative to Expectation and Career Commitment
to these situation and attitudes will be investigated in relations to
Behaviors people.

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan

Helping


Business Research Methods

11

1.4 PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH
This research investigated the different factors which influence Helping Behaviours

in humans. The interest in research within this FPT company.
The research question raised based on background information was: what factors
influence Helping Behaviours in humans.
The investigation looked upon several different factors and found out the
relationship between four main factors such as Job Satisfaction Relative to
Expectation, Supervisory Support, Perceived Organizational Support, Career
Commitment and Helping Behaviors among employees in company.
Another important study related to Helping Behaviors, and more specifically how
situational and how strategy in human resource factors influence it, A survey of
situational and variables in Helping Behaviors. The focus of this survey was very
much on situational factors that helping, yet it also began to discuss why people
help and what motivates them to intervene on behalf of others. It investigated the
effects of level of satisfy in the working environment relate with Helping
Behaviors.
1.5 SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH
This research was conducted on all 275 employees in FPT telecom, FPT software
company, FPT information systerm and FPT university. Each employee received
with some questionnaires to fill in.
Importance of understanding Helping Behaviors:
It is important to gain an understanding of Helping Behaviors. Understanding why
people help may help to understand how Helping Behaviors be increased. There
may practical applications of Helping Behaviors at workplace.
These studies have shown a positive association between Job Satisfaction Relative
to Expectation on the one hand and Helping Behaviors the other. The Helping
Behaviors - Job Satisfaction Relative to Expectation model provides an explanation
for this association. According to this model, Job Satisfaction Relative to
Expectation are those parts of the job that required much mental and physical

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan

Business Research Methods

12

energy. Examples of job satisfaction such as the progress you are making toward
the goals you set for yourself in your present position
Examples of such your present job when you consider the expectations you had
when you took the job.
On the other hand, when there are enough resources in the workplace, e.g.
Supervisor Support, motivate of Helping Behaviors employees be enhanced.
These studies have shown a positive association between Career Commitment and
Perceived Organizational Support on Helping Behaviors relative to expectation
model provides an explanation for this association.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF RESEARCH
As we know, one of the key human characteristics is willingness to help others in
need. As adults we do this routinely, often immediate personal gain and
occasionally even at great costs to ourselves. It is often assumed that Helping
Behaviors originate from cultural practices such as our parents having taught us
moral norms or having rewarded us for being nice to others. Conversely, some idea
that we might have basic tendencies to care about others, which do not depend on
social norms alone.
That is the reason we find out some hypothesis related to Helping Behaviors at a
workplace. To let the company have clearer view of problems that affects the
company’s working environment, that is the Helping Behaviors among employees.
With the results of the research, management of the company can adjust the policy
and set out a strategy to encourage employees to change their attitude to help other
people at the workplace.
1.7 LIMITATION OF THE RESEARCH
This study has several limitations, the survey was conducted in a short time. A total

of 50 questionnaires were distributed out to 350 employees in 4 brands: FPT
telecom, FPT software company, FPT information systerm and FPT university of
the FPT corporation, at the end we collect 275 surveys.

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan


Business Research Methods

13

CHAPTER II – LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 DEFINITION OF CONSTRUCT
2.1.1 HELPING BEHAVIORS
 Definition
Definition of Constructs Helping Behaviors
It was developed by Van Dyne and LePin (1998). The concept of Helping
Behaviors has been developed in many ways by many different researchers and
practitioners.
According to Thomas Ashby Wills, helping can be defined as an interaction
between helper and other people that has the specific purpose of resolving the other
people's presenting problem.
The helper provides benefit to others but it is not beneficial for the person who
carries benefit to others but it is not beneficial them out. According to Baron, R. A.,
Byrne, D., & Johnson, B. T. 1998 is called Altruism which is action intended solely
to benefit another and not to gain external or internal reward.
We perception the empathy was generally perceived to be a cause leading to
Helping Behaviors. Empathy is compassionate feelings caused by taking the
perspective of a needy other and it sometimes called sympathy which is a form of
feeling sorry for a separate other and it is easily moved by other's suffering.

According to Newcomb, Rabow and Wolfinger (1999), defined Helping Behaviors
as a characteristic of care in a given situation. Based on different perceptions and
situation it reflecting several reasons why people help. There are a number of
interesting and important research findings on Helping Behaviors.
First, one of the characteristic is empathy, in a similar situation that allows an
individual to offer help because they would want the same done for them in future.
If an individual wants to give honorably to the workplace, help may be offered
because it is the right thing to do. That right for social perception so we may
persuade people to help because it is good moralistic view.

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan


Business Research Methods

14

Next, we focus of control what is in fluent with individual internal, what is they
thinking, which is the belief that one can influence situational factors to maximize
good outcomes and minimize bad ones.
Finally, As Baron, Byrne & Johnson (1998), self-absorbed or competitive
individuals are very egocentric and often refuse to help.The reasons for helping or
not helping seem clear, however it is not the reason behind the behavior that
impedes implementation: it is the real situation that demands the help.
As Li (1997) identified some different helping situations. First, casual helping
occurred when the helper and helpee had no prior relationship. This implies that the
helper can donate help to the helpee without cost. Neither is obligated to the other,
in the second situation is in case of factors such as personal helping and emotional
helping impose opposite obligations related moral and social obligation. The cost of
not helping in these two situations could be harmful to the entire relationship. Third

is in emergency situations, the focus is not on relationships at all. The need is
believed too high for the helpee, and the cost, not as important as adhering to the
plea for help.
As Cialdini and Kenrick (1976) contended that negative moods lead just as much
toward Helping Behaviors as positive moods, if not more so. This is because of the
desire to relieve oneself from their negative mood.
Reasons for helping: Altruism versus Egoistic Motivation
Not all Helping Behaviors may show altruism. In some case Helping Behaviors
may show altruism by motivated to help someone. In another case Helping
Behaviors may reflect egoistic motiation.

Egoistic motivation with respect to

Helping Behaviors reflects selfish reasons for Helping Behaviors. For example,
Helping Behaviors may reflect a concern about being viewed as a kind or nice
person by others.
As mentioned before, positive affect is a component of subjective well-being. The
aforementioned relationship was explained by drawing on self-determination
theory, which states that autonomous motives for helping satisfy certain

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan


Business Research Methods

15

psychological needs, resulting in enhanced well-being. There is positive related
between personal helping norms, individuals’ levels of self-monitoring and
intentions to perform Helping Behaviors. High self-monitors may be more sensitive

to others’ need for help since they pay more attention to their social context. It is
interesting to note that the fact that self-monitoring was significantly associated
with individuals’ intentions to help may not demonstrate an altruistic motive. As
Flynn, F. J., Reagans, R., Amanatullah, E. T. & Ames, D. R. (2006) suggested that
high self-monitors may perform more Helping Behaviors because they expect
something in return, such as a position of higher status among their group members.
According to Deutsch & Gerard, 1955, people to maintain their self-esteem those
individuals with strong positive personal helping norms may exhibit of Helping
Behaviors at high levels.
Why did we choose this dependent Variable?
Helping Behaviors means prosocial behavior, is a theory of social psychology. This
is describes the actions that people do to benefit others. These actions affect others
and all of activity that are not generally based on motivations but on how those run
the actions.
A person sharing helping, and comforting without any selfish expectations.
psychology can be due to evolution.
The purpose for helping other people is that the altruism Helping Behaviors:
a. As Kin selection theory is one perspective on Helping Behaviors. Natural
selection contributes to the survival idea. In this theory humans are screened out of
the evolution process if they lack the ability to adapt to environmental changes. To
survive among groups of people with a similar genetic composition, desirable
behaviors are maintained.
b. A second perspective of model Helping Behaviors. It states that the helpers want
to reduce their own personal stress in similar situations so helping actions are done.
So that Social psychology researchers use this perspective to explain how helping
actions are egoistic. People help others in situations they may be facing on their

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan

Business Research Methods

16

own, but they may avoid helping others who are experiencing situations that are not
the same.
c. The third, the theory related empathy-altruism that Helping Behaviors is
triggered by empathy, the ability to identify with a person and understand what they
are experiencing and feeling. Researches see a relationship between empathy and
helping actions. According to this theory, the idea is that empathetic people are
triggered into acting by their empathy.
d. Reciprocal Helping Behaviors is a fourth perspective. In general, people help
others without the thought of personal gains that may occur as a result. This theory
states that people think about future benefits for themselves when they help others,
as long as the benefit will outweigh the sacrifice. Future benefits can include similar
repayment by the person being helped.
e. The final perspective of Helping Behaviors is the social exchange theory.
Although the concept of helping actions does not revolve around what a person may
gain as a result, some instances are motivated by personal gain. Similar to the
reciprocal theory, the social exchange theory is based on the idea that people help
others for the rewards they receive. Rewards can be external, such as friendship, or
internal, such as self-satisfaction.
According to Daniel Batson (1991), the Empathy-altruism hypothesis by, the
decision of helping or not depends primarily on whether you feel empathy for the
person and secondarily on the cost and rewards or social exchange concerns. It can
be illustrated in the following diagram:

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan

Business Research Methods

17

I receive a favor from your
I notice the favor
I feel happiness

I feel obligated to do you a 
favor or I like you and want 
to do you a favor

I don't feel obligated to 
do you a favor or I don't 
want to do you a favor

RECIPROCATION

NO RECIPROCATION

(Favor in return)

(No favor in return)

You like me

You notice "cheating": lack 
of reciprocation

Positive reinforcement

You don't like me

You are likely to do me 
favors in the future

You are unlikely to do me 
favors in the future

In social psychology, the helping is an important topic the psychology. It is
important to address reasons for Helping Behaviors, and how Helping Behaviors
may be increased in workplace. So that it apply in the workplace to encourage
people helping your partners and colleagues. That is one of the good ways to
develop your company.

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan


Business Research Methods

18

 Descriptive Individual Helping Behaviors in workplace
In recent years, the subject of organizational citizenship behavior in the workplace
has received increasing attention. According to Borman & Motowidlo (1993);
Organ (1997), Organizational citizenship behavior has been defined as those
behaviors that are enhanced and kept up with the social and psychological
environment that supports task performance.
According to Reno, Cialdini, & Kallgren (1993), descriptive norms show what most
people do in a specific situation. It has been suggested that individuals use

descriptive norms to find out proper behavior, as Cialdini, Kallgren, & Reno
(1991). “If most people are doing this it must be the appropriate thing to do”. This
is social proof to saves energy and individuals time and identifies a behavior with a
high chance of being proper (Cialdini & Trost, 1998). As Bommer, Miles, and
Grover (2003) identified two theories to explain the mechanism through which
group norms influence individuals’ decision to exhibit Helping Behaviors: social
learning theory and social information-processing theory. Social learning theory
(Bandura, 1986) asserts that people learn acceptable behavior by observing others’
behavior. Social information processing theory developed by Salancik & Pfeffer,
(1978), support that people seek information and social cues in their social context
to help them know which behavior is right. Thus, both theories indicated that if
group members see others performing Helping Behaviors they are likely to view
such behaviors as typical and proper and should, in turn, show such behaviors.
So to check how descriptive norms affect cooperative behavior, As Cress and
Kimmerle (2007) found that to conform the behavior of their group members each
individuals used information about others’ behavior to adjust their own behavior to
suitable with group. Specifically they found that individuals who were exposed to a
positive descriptive norm of highly cooperative group members demonstrated
higher levels of their own cooperative behavior than those exposed to a negative
descriptive norm.
I propose the following hypothesis:

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan


Business Research Methods

19

Hypothesis 1: Job Satisfaction Relative to Expectation is positively related to

Helping Behaviors.
Hypothesis 2: Supervisory Support is positively related to Helping Behaviors.
Hypothesis 3: Perceived Organizational Support is positively related to Helping
Behaviors
Hypothesis 4: Career Commitment is positively related to Helping Behaviors.
2.1.2 JOB SATISFACTION RELATIVE TO EXPECTATION
Job Satisfaction Relative to Expectation was measure, developed by Bacharach,
Bamberger, and Conley (1991). Another recent definition of the concept of job
satisfaction is:
According to Hulin and Judge (2003), job satisfaction includes multidimensional
psychological responses to an individual's job. The affective of job satisfaction is
representing an emotional feeling people have about their job. That we can check
these personal responses have cognitive, affective, and behavioral components.
Level job satisfaction difference to which they access the affective feelings about
the job or the cognitive assessment of the job. Thus, affective job satisfaction for
people reflects the degree of pleasure or happiness their job in general induces.
Cognitive job satisfaction is a more objective and logical evaluation of various
facets of a job. Cognitive job satisfaction can n-dimensional if it comprises
evaluation of just one facet of a job.
Cognitive job satisfaction shows the extent to which those job facets are judged by
the job holder be satisfactory in comparison with objectives they set or with other
jobs. While cognitive job satisfaction might help to bring about affective job
satisfaction and have different antecedents and consequences.
Job Satisfaction Relative to Expectation can also be seen within the broader context
of the range of issues which affect an individual's experience of work, or when you
compare it to others in the organization, or your career expectations, or toward the
goals you set for yourself in your present position, or their quality of working life.

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan

Business Research Methods

20

Job satisfaction can be understood in terms of its relationships with other key
factors, such as general well-being, stress at work, control at work, home-work
interface, and working conditions.
2.1.3 SUPERVISORY SUPPORT
Supervisor Support is developed by Greenhaus, Parasuraman, and Wormley (1990).
It includes nine items. That includes career guidance, performance feedback,
challenging work assignments, work opportunities that promote employee
development and visibility.
Supervisor Support is defined as the extent to which leaders value their employees’
contributions and care about their well-being.
Some supervisors aloof and too many uncaring and you could see the effect it had on
their employees. They were more unmotivated, they didn’t have as much company
pride, and they seemed much more isolated from other groups
A leader with high Supervisor Support is one that makes employees feel heard,
valued, and cared about.
It sounds simple, was it easy? That providing this kind of support is one of the
hardest transitions to make when promoted from employee to supervisor. The
move from “process expert” to “motivational leader” is possibly one of the largest
steps one can take in his/her working life. A supervisor, spending a minute to show
how you should handle this hurdle.
The important is Supervisor Support for effective leadership. Because it is one of
the key behaviors that effective leaders develop as soon as they move from
individual contributor to manager. In fact, it leads to positive outcomes at all levels
of leadership. In specific terms, organizational research has identified a myriad of
positive outcomes associated with high Supervisor Support, including:

 Increased organizational citizenship behaviors.

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan


Business Research Methods

21

 Improved perceptions of employee organizational support.
 Increased job satisfaction of staff.
 Stronger person-organization fit indicated by degree to which personality or
beliefs or values match organizational culture.
 Relationships with employees be improved.
 Increased in-role and extra-role performance.
 Job tension be reduced.
That is a strong predictor positive of many outcomes of Supervisor Support .
Show concern for your employees: it is important for employees to know that you
see them as more than a cog in a greater machine. Take the time to ask into their
lives by ask questions,when you talk to them make look them in the eyes , ask how
they feel about their work and listen to what they have to say without interrupting
or becoming defensive. The goal here is to convey that you care about how they
feel, so shift the focus towards them when you can.
That is concerns positively related to Helping Behaviors colleagues and support
from supervisors.
2.1.4 PERCEIVED ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT
It was developed by Eisenberger et al (1986), describes employee perception about
extent to which organization is willing to reward greater efforts by the employee
because the organization values the employee’s contribution and his or her well
being. It includes 17 items.

Eisenberger and colleagues used the concept of Perceived Organizational Support
(POS), which refers to employees’ perceptions about the degree to which the
organization cares about their well-being and values their contribution, to describe
the social exchange relationship between the organization and its employees
(Eisenberger, Huntington, Hutchinson, & Sowa, (1986). It is argued that based on

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan


Business Research Methods

22

the norm of reciprocity in social exchange, employees with higher levels of
Perceived Organizational Support are more likely to repay positive attitudes and
favorable work behaviors (Eisenberger et al., 1986; Eisenberger, Fasolo, & DavisLaMastro, 1990; Eisenberger, Cummings, Armeli, & Lynch, 1997). This contention
is further developed into organizational support theory (Rhoades & Eisenberger,
2002).
The purpose is to show the research questions to addressed in this research, briefly
discuss its potential contributions to the Helping Behaviors in workplace.
According to self-determination theory, motives differ to the extent to which they
are perceived as originating from oneself, that is, their locus of causality. In
contrast, a prosocial motivation is defined as "the desire to benefit other people".
However, Helping Behaviors can also take place without perceiving external
pressures, as one decides voluntarily to help another person. The higher the internal
locus of causality, the higher the intrinsic motivation to help. In this situation, it
said that the behavior is more autonomously motivated.
Specifically, motivation helped to perceive Helping Behaviors as originating from
oneself, i.e. entirely autonomously motivated. Therefore, I propose that autonomous
motives for helping result in a higher degree of prosocial Helping Behaviors than

controlled motives for helping:
Reasons for Helping Others
They want to gain as much as possible while losing as little as possible so people
must help each other.
Due to the social responsibility norm also explains Helping Behaviors. The social
responsibility norm is a societal rule that tells people they should help others who
need help even if doing so is costly.

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan


Business Research Methods

23

Perceived Organizational Support (POS) refers to employees’ perception
concerning the extent to which the organization values their contribution and cares
about their well-being. Perceived Organizational Support has been found to have
important consequences employee performance and well-being.
Altruism can be defined as helping other people without experiencing pressure and
with the intention to help others and no rewards are expected for these Helping
Behaviors. Addition, courtesy is defined as the prevention of problems for other
people and can thus be considered as another kind of Helping Behaviors.
These studies have shown a positive association between coworker and Supervisor
Support on the one hand and well-being on the other.
The job demands-resources model provides an explanation for this association.
According to this model, job demands are those parts of the job that require much
mental and physical energy. Examples of job demands are time pressure and a high
workload. Examples of such resources include the possibility to participate in
decision-making and supervisory and coworker support. The job-demands

resources model states that the high energy requirements of job demands in one's
work result in fatigue and exhaustion, and thus in poor health and a decreased wellbeing. On the other hand, when there are enough resources in the workplace, e.g.
supervisor and coworker support, motivation of employees is enhanced.
According to Shore and Tetrick (1991), Perceived Organizational Support (POS)
had a positive relationship with employee satisfaction with their pay. Moorman et
al.’s (1998) research suggested that employee beliefs in procedural justice
contributed to higher levels of Perceived Organizational Support. In their recent
study, Wayne et al. (2002) further found that both procedural justice and
distributive justice perceptions were positively related to Perceived Organizational
Support. Similarly, As 19 Rhoades et al. (2001) also found that employee

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan


Business Research Methods

24

evaluations of favorable organizational rewards and procedural justice were both
antecedents of Perceived Organizational Support.
I hypothesize that the degree to which employees Perceived Organizational Support
is positively related to Helping Behaviors.
2.1.5 CAREER COMMITMENT
As Colarelli and Bishop (1990), commitment to one’s career is an important value
for several reasons: careers take time to develop; they are separate but related
positions that accumulate over time through career progression. Only through the
strategic development of career is a worker able to evolve and hone specialised and
high level skills. Career Commitment also provides the endurance necessary to
cultivate business networks and professional relationships. According to Kalbers
and Fogarty 1995: 68, Career Commitment can also lead to a potential for greater

income and higher self-esteem. Finally, the business world is no longer an
assemblage of discrete and secure positions.
As Colarelli and Bishop (1990), 159, “commitment to an internally defined career
may become an important source of occupational meaning and continuity as
organizations become more fluid and less able to guarantee employment security”.
That right in nowadays because today's job climate is dynamic and perpetually
altering.
Thus, employees with both low Helping Behaviors and low Career Commitment are
most likely to leave the organization, have lowest organizational commitment, and
feel the least since of obligation to help the organization make its goals.

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan


Business Research Methods

25

2.2 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
2.2.1 The social learning theory such as Bandura (1986), and social information
processing theory as Salancik & Pfeffer (1978), suggest that if group members
observe others performing Helping Behaviors they are likely to view such
behaviors as typical and appropriate and should, in turn, exhibit such behaviors.
 Hypothesis 1: Job Satisfaction Relative to Expectation is positively related to
Helping Behaviors.
 2.2.2 One important aspect of the needs employees seek to satisfy in organizational
settings is interpersonal relationships. Thus, in evaluating the support provided by
the organization, employees would take the work relationships they have with the
supervisor into account. If the employee has a higher quality exchange relationship
with the supervisor, he or she would feel that the organization has contributed to

satisfying his or her need and as such they would care about other people wellbeing. I discuss each of these outcomes and propose specific hypotheses below
 Hypothesis 2: Supervisory Support is positively related to Helping Behaviors.
2.2.3. According to Eisenberger et al., 1986; Eisenberger et al., (1997); Rhoades &
Eisenberger (2002), that “employees evidently believe that the organization has a
general positive or negative orientation toward them that encompasses both
recognition of their contributions and concern for their welfare.” As Eisenberger,
Stinglhamber, Vandenberghe, Sucharski, & Rhoades, 2002, p. 565, also key to
organizational support theory is the norm of reciprocity (Gouldner, 1960), which,
applied to the employee-employer relationship, suggests that employees who
receive favorable treatment from the employee organization, such as higher levels
of Perceived Organizational Support, would feel an obligation that they should care
about the organization’s benefits and contribute to the achievement of
organizational goals by helping other people at workplace

Student: Pham Thi Ngoc Lan