Organizational, supervisory, and co-worker support: an empirical examination of job embeddedness and intention to quit

Purpose This study examines how organizational, supervisory, and co-worker support influence employee retention outcomes, specifically job embeddedness and intention to quit, in the hospitality and tourism sector of the Sultanate of Oman. In particular, the study conceptualizes support as a process-based mechanism in which perceived organizational support is transmitted through supervisory and peer relationships to shape employee attachment and retention. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey was conducted among employees working in the hospitality and tourism sector, yielding 195 valid responses. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test direct, mediating, and moderating relationships. Findings Results show that perceived organizational support is negatively related to intention to quit and positively related to job embeddedness. Supervisor support and co-worker support sequentially mediate the relationship between perceived organizational support and job embeddedness, revealing a cascading support mechanism through which organizational support strengthens employee attachment. Co-worker support also moderates the relationship between perceived organizational support and intention to quit, such that higher co-worker support strengthens the negative association. Practical implications The findings highlight the importance of fostering multilayered support systems that integrate organizational, supervisory, and co-worker support to enhance employee retention. Managers should cultivate supportive leadership behaviors and encourage peer collaboration to strengthen employees' sense of belonging and attachment, particularly in culturally diverse service settings. Originality/value This study contributes to Organizational Support Theory by demonstrating a process-based mechanism of sequential support transmission. Rather than treating organizational, supervisory, and co-worker support as parallel predictors, the study shows how support originating at the organizational level cascades through supervisory and peer relationships to influence employee retention outcomes. Evidence from the Omani hospitality and tourism sector further extends support for research to an underexplored emerging economy context.