Do workaholic hotel supervisors provide family supportive supervision? A role identity perspective

Abstract

Drawing from role identity theory and social exchange theory, the current study presents a moderated mediation model which I use to examine how supervisor workaholism and the perception of subordinate’s family-work conflict affect family supportive behavior. This supervisor behavior further influences subordinate’s organizational citizenship behavior toward the supervisor and withdrawal behavior at work. Using a sample of supervisor-subordinate dyads in hotels, I found that (1) supervisor’s perception of subordinate’s family-work conflict enhanced the positive relationship between supervisor workaholism and family supportive supervisor behavior, (2) family supportive supervisor behavior was positively related to subordinate’s organizational citizenship behavior toward the supervisor and negatively related to subordinate’s withdrawal behavior at work, and (3) only when supervisor’s perception of subordinate’s family-work conflict was high did I find a significant indirect effect of supervisor workaholism on subordinate’s organizational citizenship behavior toward the supervisor and withdrawal behavior at work via family supportive supervisor behavior.