Perceived Social Support: A Key to Enhance Job Satisfaction at a Crucial Time of Structural Change

Purpose: It is evident employee react negatively and have experienced psychosomatic effects like depression, anxiety, insecurity and fear as a reaction of merger and acquisition, which reflect negative effect on employee performance, high turnover intention or absenteeism as employee reaction to change. The present study intent to understand the impact valuable perceived social support in enhancing employee job satisfaction and to persuade them not to switch the organization specifically due to structural change i.e. M&A. Design / methodology: The study is cross sectional, data collected convenience non-random sampling technique from MCB Bank employee experiencing structural change (MCB-NIB) merger. Total of 350 responses using Smart PLS were analyzed. Findings: It was found that perceived social support positively associated to job satisfaction. Job satisfaction negatively related to turnover intention and mediated the link between perceived social support and turnover intention. Research limitations: This study finding carries certain limitations like the data acquired gathered from one region which may indicate unfairness. It is cross sectional study so causal links cannot be established future research particular to longitudinal studies. This study only involved employees of banking sector from one province of Pakistan, still issue of generalizability cannot be ruled out. Practical implications: The study possess a number of practical implications as an outcome of present study stresses that executive need to provide in order to implement change. As Merger practice modifies the current organizational culture, working environments, and operations, employee feel negative and show fear of downsizing or restructuring. Thus managers and policy makers need to establish mechanism where employee may get enough support. Originality / value: The present study is distinctive in a way it has covered that employee developing their confidence, morale, acceptance and perception level, regarding change experience such as satisfaction with the job as an important mediating mechanism, which deal and overcome emotional response of an individual who intent from company at the time of change.