The influence of perceived constructive and destructive leadership on employee well-being and ill-being: the mediating role of self-conscious emotions.

摘要

This study investigates the influence of experienced leadership (i.e. transformational, abusive) on positive and negative follower well-being (i.e. job satisfaction, engagement, workaholism, burnout) and the mediating role of follower affect and the self-conscious emotions shame, guilt, and pride. Data used in this study was collected from two diverse studies, with Study 1 having obtained data from a Japanese multi-national firm (n=183), and Study 2 including data from an Irish local government emergency response organisation (n=237). The findings from my analysis showed that, as predicted, follower perceptions of transformational leadership positively and significantly predicted follower well-being outcomes of job satisfaction and engagement, and negatively predicted the follower ill-being outcome of burnout in both studies. The predicted negative relationship between perceived abusive supervision and follower job satisfaction and engagement was supported in Study 2, while the positive influence of abusive supervision on follower ill-being outcomes of workaholism and burnout was supported in both studies. Follower perceptions of a constructive or destructive leadership style had broadly the same relationship with follower positive and negative emotions in both studies. The research further confirmed follower emotions of pride and positive and negative affect (PANA) as emotional pathways through which constructive and destructive leaders influence follower well-being (i.e. engagement) and ill-being (i.e. workaholism-working compulsively and burnout) in Study 1. The research findings make three distinct contributions to the leadership and well-being literatures. Firstly, the research confirms the role of diverse leadership styles in influencing follower well-being and ill-being outcomes, thereby addressing calls to help understand ‘when, how, and what kinds of leadership behaviours influence engagement’ and well-being outcomes (Bakker, Albrecht & Leiter, 2011, p.14; Wu & Hu, 2009). Secondly, the research responds to calls for future leadership research to broaden the measurement criteria to enable us to understand how leaders and leadership are related to emotional constructs (Dasborough, Ashkanasy, Tee, & Herman, 2009; Hiller, DeChurch, Murase, & Doty, 2011) and to calls to identify the pathways through which leadership influences follower well-being and ill-being (Hansbrough, Lord, & Schyns, 2015; Skakon et al., 2010). Thirdly, the findings in both studies identify when leaders influence follower well-being and ill-being through the pathways of follower emotions. The research findings establish the important role of the leader in follower well-being (job satisfaction, engagement) and ill-being (workaholism, burnout), and identify the leader as positively or negatively influencing follower positive and negative emotions across both studies. The hypothesised mediating effects of follower emotions between perceived leadership style and well-being and ill-being outcomes was found only in Study 1. This highlights the need for future research to consider the role of the work environment when measuring the antecedents of well-being and ill-being at work. Overall, the research findings identify the important role of the leader in influencing follower emotions and well-being and ill-being at work and establish the abusive leader as a job demand placing emotional demands on the follower, and the transformational leader as a job resource, uplifting and supporting the follower with implications for theory and practice. udud udKeywords: abusive supervision, transformational leadership, affect, shame, guilt, pride, employee well-being, job satisfaction, engagement, workaholism, burnout.ud