Sources of Perceived Organizational Support: Goal Setting and Feedback1

In this paper we examine goal setting and feedback as possible sources of perceived organizational support (Eisenberger, Huntington, Hutchison, & Sowa, 1986). Surveys were administered to 337 employees from 3 different organizations in the southern California area. Two path models were examined: one that allowed goal setting and feedback to have direct effects on perceived support and organizational commitment, and one that only allowed goal setting and feedback to have direct effects on perceived support. Results show that goal setting and feedback do not have direct effects on organizational commitment but, rather, affect commitment indirectly by way of their effects on employee perceptions of support from the organization.