Abstract Background Emotional labor is a common job demand in healthcare and may reduce healthcare workers’ work engagement, potentially affecting workforce sustainability and service quality. Perceived organizational support (POS) may buffer this adverse effect, yet its potential latent heterogeneity is often overlooked. This study aimed to identify latent POS profiles and examine whether these profiles moderate the association between emotional labor and work engagement among Chinese healthcare workers. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted between August and November 2023 among 1503 healthcare workers from 16 tertiary public hospitals in Shandong Province, China. POS was measured using the 24-item Chinese Employee Perceived Organizational Support Scale, WE was assessed with the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and emotional labor was measured using the Emotional Labor Scale. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify POS profiles. Multivariable ordinary least squares regression models examined associations and moderating effects. Supplementary analyses examined moderation using continuous POS measures and restricted cubic spline models. Results Three distinct POS profiles were identified: low (18.1%), medium (52.0%), and high (29.9%). Emotional labor was significantly negatively associated with work engagement (β = −0.35, p < 0.001). Compared with the low POS profile, healthcare workers in the medium (β = 10.65, 95% CI: 8.61–12.70, p < 0.001) and high (β = 21.74, 95% CI: 19.34–24.14, p < 0.001) profiles reported higher work engagement. Moderation analyses showed that the negative association between emotional labor and WE was significantly attenuated in the high POS profile (interaction β = 0.43, p < 0.001), whereas the medium POS profile did not show a significant buffering effect (interaction β = 0.11, p = 0.226). Findings were consistent when POS was modeled as a continuous variable, and restricted cubic spline analyses suggested that the buffering effect of POS may become more pronounced at higher levels of support. Conclusion POS showed clear latent heterogeneity and may function as an important buffering resource in the association between emotional labor and work engagement. Strengthening organizational support systems, particularly for employees with low perceived support, may help sustain work engagement in high-demand healthcare settings. Clinical trial number Not applicable.
Cong et al. (Sat,) studied this question.