Chan, Xi Wen
Description
The role of emotions remains a critical gap in the work–family
literature as existing studies have typically focused on the
intrapersonal consequences (e.g., distress and strain) in
reaction to work–family conflict. Building on this gap, the
current research investigated the interpersonal effects of
supervisor negative emotions on subordinate work and family
outcomes. Drawing on emotions as social information theory, role
theory, and the human agentic...[Show more] approach, the current research
sought to unpack the social cognitive mechanisms linking
supervisor negative emotions to subordinate work engagement and
family undermining. Data for both studies in this research was
collected from a Singaporean government agency.
Study 1 proposed that: (1) when supervisors express negative
emotions, their behaviours violate their subordinates’
expectations of them, leading subordinates to perceive them as
being less effective; (2) subordinates’ self-beliefs in
managing their work and non-work responsibilities are
subsequently diminished, leading to decreased self-efficacy to
regulate work and life; (3) consequently, subordinates become
less engaged in their work and direct their negative emotional
and cognitive states towards their family members. The
time-lagged study consisted of 372 supervisor–subordinate
dyads, and the hypothesised chain mediation model was examined
using structural equation modelling. Contrary to expectations,
subordinate perceived leadership effectiveness only partially
mediated the relationship between supervisor negative emotions
and subordinate self-efficacy to regulate work and life, and
subordinate self-efficacy to regulate work and life was
negatively associated with subordinate work engagement. The first
finding prompted Study 2, which examined supervisor gender in
relation to supervisor negative emotions, and subordinate
perceived leadership effectiveness and self-efficacy to regulate
work and life.
Due to entrenched beliefs in the gendered division of labour in
Singapore, Study 2 examined supervisor gender as a moderator of
the relationship between supervisor negative emotions and
subordinate perceived leadership effectiveness. It hypothesised
that female supervisors’ negative emotions would have a
stronger negative impact on their subordinates’ perceived
leadership effectiveness and self-efficacy to regulate work and
life than male supervisors’ negative emotions. The time-lagged
study consisted of 137 supervisor–subordinate dyads, and the
hypothesised moderated mediation model was tested using PROCESS.
Results mostly conformed to the hypothesis in that female
supervisors’ negative emotions had a significant negative
impact on their subordinates’ perceived leadership
effectiveness and self-efficacy to regulate work and life.
Interestingly, male supervisors’ negative emotions did not
affect their subordinates. Also, subordinate perceived leadership
effectiveness was shown to fully mediate the relationship between
supervisor negative emotions and subordinate self-efficacy to
regulate work and life, only when the supervisor was a female.
This finding suggests that gender role stereotypes remain rife in
Singapore.
Taken together, the current research sheds light on how
subordinates: (1) perceive and process information gleaned from
their supervisors’ negative emotions; and (2) subsequently
apply the information to their work and family domains. It also
contributes to the growing pool of studies on emotions in the
work–family interface, embedded in non-Western settings.
Lastly, it highlights the dichotomous effects of supervisor
negative emotions in enhancing subordinate work outcomes but
diminishing subordinate family outcomes. Implications for
practice are also discussed.
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