The Nexus Between Perceived Organizational Support, Work Engagement, and Employee Well-being: A Pathway to Thriving Workplaces

This study seeks to examine the interplay between perceived organizational support (POS), work engagement (WE), and employee well-being (EWB) within the hospitality industry. Grounded in Social Exchange Theory and the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) model, the research investigates both the direct effect of POS on EWB and its indirect effect mediated through WE. The study was conducted with 125 hotel employees in Bali, and the data were analyzed using WarpPLS version 7.0 to examine the structural relationships among the variables. The results indicate that POS significantly enhances WE but does not exert a direct effect on EWB. In contrast, WE demonstrate a positive and significant influence on EWB. These findings suggest that WE functions as a critical pathway through which EWB can be enhanced. High POS fosters greater WE, which subsequently enhances EWB. This process acts as a psychological mechanism that transforms perceptions of organizational support into positive energy, dedication, and involvement, thereby improving employees’ physical and psychological conditions. This study offers novelty by integrating Social Exchange Theory and the JD-R model, revealing WE as a crucial mediator in the POS–EWB relationship within hospitality sector, a context rarely explored empirically.