Determinants of received social support: Who gives what to managers?

Abstract

The matching hypothesis suggests that contextual variables will influence the social support received for stressful events. This study examines the influence of supporter relationship, stressor domain (work or nonwork), recipient gender, stressor controllability, and the social nature of the stressor on the social support received by 435 managers. Some evidence is found for support matching. Emotional support is more often received for social stressors than for nonsocial stressors. It is also more often received from relationships outside the work-place than from work relationships. Work relationships provide the most tangible assistance and information for stressors that have occurred at work, but nonwork relationships provide the most assistance and information for nonwork stressors. For work stressors, superiors provide the most information and emotional support, whereas subordinates provide the most tangible assistance. However, the gender of the support recipient and the controllability of the stressor are not associated with support receipt.