Interrupting the crossover effect of leader's role overload on employee's negative affect: the moderating role of self-concordance goal

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to examine the crossover effect of leader's role overload on employee's negative affect. More importantly, the stuy will identify the buffering role of self-concordance goal on the relationship between leader's role overload and employee's negative affect.

Design/methodology/approach

The study builds the crossover impact of leader's role overload on employee's negative affect as well as the moderating effect of self-concordance goal. By a two-wave and paired data from 51 leaders and 225 employees, the study examines the hypothesis using cross-level analysis.

Findings

Results show that leader's role overload tends to reduce negative affect for employees who pursue high-level self-concordance goal and increase negative affect for employees who pursue low-level self-concordance goal.

Practical implications

It is important for employees to get rid of negative affect in the workplace. The study informs managers the benefits of pursuing self-concordance goals in helping employees alleviate the negative effect of leader's role overload.

Originality/value

Findings of the present study can enrich the literature of the crossover process from leader to employee and offer management strategy for enterprises about how to buffer the damaging effect of leader's role overload on employees.

Citation

Chen, L., Chen, M., Zhang, H. and Yan, X.-M. (2022), "Interrupting the crossover effect of leader's role overload on employee's negative affect: the moderating role of self-concordance goal", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 37 No. 4, pp. 361-378. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-04-2021-0219