‘I’ve been working in TV for 10 years and I’ve never had that’: fostering perceived organisational support (POS) among skilled contingent workers in the television industry

Authors: Wallis, R.

Journal: Journal of the British Academy

Publication Date: 01/01/2026

Volume: 14

Issue: 2

eISSN: 2052-7217

DOI: 10.5871/jba/014.a09

Abstract:

This article reports key findings from a pilot project to design, develop, and test an intervention aimed at increasing perceived organisational support among television freelancers. The initiative is a response to a problem rooted in this sector’s model of employment: the television industry has become dependent upon a skilled but contingent workforce who report feeling unsupported and isolated in a work environment characterised by instability and insecurity. The article draws from organisational support theory and explores the utility of the concept of perceived organisational support in its application to contingent workers. The intervention (Supportive Offboarding) was designed to signal support by the inclusion of four key components: the offer of feedback from the company; the request for feedback to the company; a career-related conversation; and the expression of gratitude. Each of these aspects of the intervention is tested, its outcomes analysed, and its implications assessed.

Source: Scopus