Opportunities For Subordinates To Participate:The Bright Side Of Supervisor’s Depletion

Abstract

The literature to date has predominantly focused on the negative effects of supervisors’ depletion. In this study, however, we recognize that it is possible that in some instances depletion may trigger supervisors’ adaptive behavior that is effective for leading others. Drawing from theories of participative leadership and power distance orientation, we delineate a theoretical model and outline the relationship amongst supervisors’ morning depletion, their daily adaptive behaviors, and positive changes in subordinates’ daily behaviors. Results of an experience-sampling study of 69 supervisor-subordinate dyads that completed daily morning and afternoon surveys over a two-week period revealed that for low power distance supervisors, their morning depletion resulted in increase in daily participative leadership behavior. Moreover, supervisors’ daily participative leadership behavior positively associated with subordinates’ organizational citizenship behavior and mediated the effects of supervisors’ morning depletion on subordinates’ organizational citizenship behavior. Overall, our results demonstrate how supervisors’ power distance can play a role in shaping the negative effects of supervisors’ depletion and promote supervisors’ adaptive leadership behavior.