title: Social support and work engagement: a study of Malaysian nurses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study addressed the question of whether social support (supervisor support and co-worker support) could contribute to the variance in work engagement.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Nurses, as customer-contact employees, play an important role in representing the organization's competence. Their attitudes and behaviour toward patients has a significant influence on patients' satisfaction and perception of quality of service.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample comprised 402 staff nurses working in three general hospitals in Peninsular Malaysia. Variables included demographic information, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale and Social Support Scale. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, correlations and regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Findings indicated that supervisor support was positively related to work engagement. Co-worker support was found to have no effect on work engagement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Supervisory support is an important predictor of work engagement for nurses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nursing management should provide more training to nurse supervisors and develop nurse mentoring programmes to encourage more support to nurses.
authors: Senior Lecturer, School of Business Management, College of Business, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Kedah Darul AmanProfessor, School of Management, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.
authors: Noraini
authors: N
authors: Othman
authors: Aizzat Mohd
authors: AM
authors: Nasurdin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology; D015401:Nursing Administration Research; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012944:Social Support; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: co-worker support; nurses; social support; supervisor support; work engagement