Sustaining Employees through Co-worker and Supervisor Support: Evidence from Thailand

Abstract

Manuscript type: Research paper
Research aims: This study aims to examine the effects of perceived co-worker and supervisor support on employees’ intention to quit in the food and beverage industry in Thailand. Design/Methodology/Approach: A total of 322 entry-level employees were recruited from one of Thailand’s largest food and beverage company as respondents for our survey. Data were then analysed using the OLS regression.
Research findings: Our results highlight that workplace social support as indicated by existing literature were predominantly conducted in Western countries and these were found to be inapplicable in the Thai context. Our study also highlights some inconsistent results between the different age group of workers.
Theoretical contributions/Originality: Our study expands on previous literature by making empirical contributions from the perspective of Thailand. As a collectivistic and feminine society, Thailand carries results that are different from the West. Our study also makes contributions by providing evidence drawn from the different age group perspective.
Practitioner/Policy implications: Companies in Asian countries should reconsider their strategies in retaining workers. Our results offer strategies that are guided by the outcome generated from an Asian context which is highly different from the Western context.
Research limitation/Implications: Since this study only focused on employees from one company, the generalisability of our results may be restricted.
Keywords: Co-Worker Support, Supervisor Support, Intention to Quit, Employee Retention, Employment Sustainment
JEL Classification: M12, M54, M59