Singapore study shows supervisors' support increases work engagement of employees who are parents of children with special needs and disabilities

Abstract

Purpose

The authors said their study was the first to consider the impact of organizational support on parents of children with SND in Singapore. Although there has been a lot of research on the effects of organizational support, it has not focused on this area.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected data from 224 employees who were parents of children with SND in Singapore. They used a self-administered questionnaire.

Findings

For high supervisor’s support levels, high disability severity was associated with increased work engagement levels, but for low supervisor’s support levels, high disability severity was associated with lower work engagement levels. Meanwhile, the patterns were reverse for co-workers. High coworkers’ support levels were associated with reduced engagement. At the same time, the results showed the impact of coworkers’ support on work engagement was especially beneficial for employees whose children faced less severe disabilities.

Originality/value

The authors argue that the results provided powerful evidence that HR practitioners should strive to create a family-friendly culture in a constructive and understanding way.

Citation

(2021), "Singapore study shows supervisors' support increases work engagement of employees who are parents of children with special needs and disabilities", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 29 No. 4, pp. 23-24. https://doi.org/10.1108/HRMID-03-2021-0069