Prosocial Service Behaviours and Employee Well-being

Abstract

This study investigates the dual effects of Prosocial service behaviour (PSB) on employee well-being and how these outcomes are influenced by a leader’s punishment and reward behaviours. Drawing on the conservation of resources and self-determination theories, we propose that PSB consumes and provides resources through work-related rumination (i.e., affective rumination and problem-solving pondering). We conducted a longitudinal two-wave questionnaire study (N = 132) and tested hypotheses using a time-lagged model with latent variables. Results showed that when non-contingent punishment was low, PSB increased burnout through affective rumination. Moderated mediation analysis revealed that when the contingent reward is high, there was an increase in indirect effect of PSB on work enjoyment through problem-solving pondering. The direct effect of PSB on affective rumination was in the expected direction but was not significant. However, the direct effect of PSB on problem-solving pondering was significant. Our results indicate that PSB has positive and negative well-being outcomes under various leadership conditions.