Lundqvist Daniel, Fogelberg Eriksson Anna, Ekberg Kerstin
HELIX VINN Excellence Centre, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Unit of Education and Sociology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Work. 2018;59(3):351-365. doi: 10.3233/WOR-182690.
Previous research has shown that social support is important for health and performance at work, but there is a lack of research regarding managers' social support at work, and if it needs to be improvedOBJECTIVE:To investigate managers' perception of work-related social support, and facilitators and hindrances that influence their seeking of social support at work.
Semi-structured interviews with sixty-two managers in two Swedish organizations.
Work-related support, which strengthened their managerial image of being competent, was sought from sources within the workplace. Sensitive and personal support, where there was a risk of jeopardizing their image of being competent, was sought from sources outside the workplace. Access to arenas for support (location of the workplace, meetings, and vocational courses) and the managerial role could facilitate their support-seeking, but could also act as hindrances. Because attending different arenas for support were demanding, they refrained from seeking support if the demands were perceived as too high.
Different supportive sources are distinguished based on what supportive function they have and in which arenas they are found, in order to preserve the confidence of the closest organization and to maintain the image of being a competent and performing manager.
以往研究表明，社会支持对健康和工作表现很重要，但关于管理者在工作中的社会支持以及是否需要改进这方面的研究较少。
调查管理者对工作相关社会支持的认知，以及影响他们在工作中寻求社会支持的促进因素和阻碍因素。
对瑞典两个组织中的62名管理者进行半结构化访谈。
他们从工作场所内部的来源寻求与工作相关的支持，这种支持强化了他们作为胜任者的管理形象。而对于敏感的个人支持，由于存在损害其胜任形象的风险，则从工作场所外部的来源寻求。获得支持场所（工作场所的位置、会议和职业课程）以及管理角色既可以促进他们寻求支持，但也可能成为阻碍。因为参加不同的支持场所要求较高，如果认为要求过高，他们就会避免寻求支持。
根据支持功能和所在场所区分不同的支持来源，以维护最亲近组织的信心，并保持作为一名胜任且有表现的管理者的形象。
