Perceived Organisational Support (POS) as a Mediator between Organisational Communication and Employee Engagement among Remote Workers in Akwa Ibom State

Abstract

This study investigated the mediating role of perceived organisational support in the relationship between organisational communication dynamics and employee engagement among remote workers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Grounded in Organisational Support Theory (OST), the research posits that employees’ perceptions of how much the organisation values their contributions and well-being shape their attitudes and engagement levels, particularly in remote contexts where informal social cues are limited. A survey research design was employed, involving 189 purposively and snowball-sampled respondents actively engaged in remote work. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed using correlation and regression techniques. Key findings revealed that communication clarity (r = .52, p < .01) and feedback quality (r = .47, p < .01) had strong positive relationships with employee engagement. Furthermore, perceived organisational support partially mediated this relationship, with communication predicting support (β = .611, p < .001) and support predicting engagement (β = .376, p < .001). Despite high levels of performance commitment (67.7%), emotional engagement was comparatively lower (57.1%), and lateral communication was found to be relatively weak (52.4%). Based on these findings, it is recommended that organisations strengthen upward and horizontal communication flows, institutionalise recognition practices, and implement relational engagement strategies such as virtual team-building and wellness check-ins to sustain engagement and foster a supportive communication climate in remote work environments.