Abstract
In this study we incorporate social comparison processes in Organizational Support Theory and we propose a new construct namely Comparative Perceived Organizational Support (CPOS). CPOS captures an employee’s perception that his/her organization supports its employees more than other similar organizations support their own employees. Moreover, we examine the relationship between CPOS and employee outcomes (organizational identification, intent to quit, willingness to support the organization), while we also investigate whether Perceived Organizational Support (POS) mediates the aforementioned relationships. The moderating effects of CPOS on POS-outcome relationship are also tested. Based on a field study with 316 employees, our findings indicate that POS fully explains the CPOS-organizational identification relationship, while it only partially explains the CPOS-intent to quit and CPOS-willingness to support the organization relationship. Moreover, CPOS was found to moderate (attenuate) the POS-organizational identification and POS-intent to quit relationship.