Leader secure-base support and organizational learning culture: synergetic effects on employee state promotion focus and approach job crafting

Abstract

PurposeLeader secure-base support, consisting of leader availability, noninterference and encouragement of growth, has important implications for stimulating employee proactivity. This study is aimed at examining whether, why and when leader secure-base support may motivate employees to engage in approach job crafting behavior. Drawing upon regulatory focus theory, we propose leader secure-base support is positively associated with employee approach job crafting via employee state promotion focus. Based on cue consistency theory, we further examine the moderating role of organizational learning culture in the associations of leader secure-base support with employee state promotion focus and subsequent approach job crafting.Design/methodology/approachTwo-wave data were collected from 281 Chinese workers. Path analyses with Mplus 7 were conducted to test the hypotheses.FindingsAs predicted, we found that leader secure-base support was positively related to employee state promotion focus and, in turn, facilitated employee approach job crafting. Moreover, organizational learning culture accentuated the impact of leader secure-base support on employee job crafting process.Originality/valueThis study is the first to examine the influence of leader secure-base support on employee job crafting. It also identifies a boundary condition for such an influence.