Suporte social no trabalho: Contradições entre beneficiários e prestadores.

ABSTRACT

Social support is usually considered a positive variable in the working environment. However, there are other facets of this complex construct that are not addressed in the standardized instruments available. Social support presupposes the belief that one is valued, estimated and that one can rely on inputs and with reliable information networks to work with. The purpose of this study was to understand different facets and manifestations of social support. In-depth interviews took place with ten volunteers in seven meetings over four months. The search for social support was identified recurrently in three types: emotional, informative and instrumental. The results have offered an ambivalent interpretation of its manifestation: the expectation of social support, in addition to the set of characteristics of the receiver, suggested the perception of loneliness and neglect and the provision of social support as a protective factor in the workplace. Reports have converged in the sense that the provision of social support attenuates stress and the role of interpreting the characteristics

KEYWORDS:

Social support. Coping. Stress. Health at work.