Palm Revised

Norsanina.blogspot.com

29/03/2026

From our earlier discussions, your study looks at employee performance, considering sustainable practices, perceived supervisor support (PSS), and individual factors (like self-efficacy, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and work ethics). You’re preparing this for a DBA thesis, so the “theory” section should:

1. Ground your research in a recognized theory.
2. Show how previous studies used similar theories.
3. Link the theory directly to your Research Objectives (RO) and Research Questions (RQ). 

   Possible Theoretical Foundation 

   1. Social Exchange Theory (SET) – Core Theory

   • Why?
     • SET (Blau, 1964) has been widely used in HR, organizational behavior, and performance research.
     • It argues that workplace relationships are built on reciprocal exchanges. When organizations/supervisors provide support (resources, fair treatment, recognition), employees feel obligated to reciprocate with higher effort and performance.
   • How it links to your study:
   • Sustainable practices → employees perceive fairness and long-term care from the organization.
   • Perceived Supervisor Support (PSS) → employees feel valued, respected, and supported.
   • Individual factors (self-efficacy, adaptability, etc.) → shape how employees interpret these exchanges and decide whether to reciprocate positively.
   • This aligns with your RO and RQ since you’re investigating how organizational and individual factors affect employee performance.

   • 2. Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory – Supporting Lens

     • Why?
       • COR theory (Hobfoll, 1989) explains that people strive to obtain, retain, and protect resources.
       • In organizational settings, resources can be job support, training, autonomy, or even psychological resources like confidence.
     • How it links to your study:
       • Sustainable practices = organizational resources.
       • PSS = social/relational resources.
       • Individual factors (emotional intelligence, adaptability, work ethic) = personal resources.
       • Employee performance improves when individuals have more resources and don’t feel threatened by loss.

       • 3. Integration into Your Study

         A theoretical framework could therefore combine SET as the main foundation, supported by COR Theory. This way:

         • SET explains why employees reciprocate support and practices with higher performance.
         • COR explains how resources interact—sustainable practices and supervisor support provide external resources, while individual factors are internal resources—together influencing employee performance.
         • ✅ So, your study could be grounded in Social Exchange Theory (SET), supported by Conservation of Resources (COR) theory.