Time pressure, coping strategies and work engagement: moderation of inclusive-leadership
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to unravel the effects of time pressure on work engagement within Chinese organizational settings, considering the moderating effect of inclusive leadership and the mediating role of coping strategies. It seeks to apply and extend theories such as the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, Lazarus’s stress and coping (LSC) framework and leader–member exchange (LMX) theory on stress and coping to understand these dynamics comprehensively.
Design/methodology/approach
The study collected responses from 211 Chinese professionals in the manufacturing sector through a structured questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses.
Findings
Results reveal that problem-focused coping strategies positively correlate with work engagement, whereas emotion-focused coping strategies do not show a significant association. Both emotion-focused and problem-focused coping strategies mediate the relationship between time pressure and work engagement. Additionally, inclusive leadership positively moderates the relationship between time pressure and both problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies.
Practical implications
Organizational leaders and HR practitioners of companies can devise interventions to enhance employee engagement by leveraging the findings of this study, which advances our understanding of the critical role of coping strategies and the influence of inclusive leadership, particularly under time pressure, which is prevalent in fast-paced work environments.
Originality/value
The research integrates the JD-R model, LMX theory and LSC framework to explore workplace dynamics in China, presenting new insights into coping mechanisms and leadership roles in high-pressure environments.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors appreciate the editor-in-chief, the editorial team, and the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions to help improve the robust quality of this manuscript.
Moreover, the first author wishes to express his gratitude to his father, the late Nisar Ahmed Mangi; though my father is no longer with us, his unwavering support continues to guide me.
Citation
Mangi, T.A., Sun, W., Khoso, W.M. and Ambreen, S. (2024), "Time pressure, coping strategies and work engagement: moderation of inclusive-leadership", Management Decision, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-11-2023-2168
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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