The dual impacts of guanxi closeness on followership: Mediating roles of burnout and power distance

Abstract

Guanxi and followership play important roles in employees' interaction with their supervisors. Extant studies have found that supervisor-subordinate guanxi can predict subordinates' attitudes and behaviors toward their supervisors. However, little is known about the relationship between guanxi closeness and subordinates' following supervisors. Accordingly, drawing on conservation of resource theory (COR), we develop a two-path mediation model and examine the direct impact of guanxi closeness on followership, the mediating role of burnout and power distance orientation, discussing the dual impacts of guanxi closeness. To reduce the common method basis, a two-wave time-lagged (interval of one month) study was conducted. Then, we collected 239 pieces of data to test our hypotheses using path analyses. Results show that the direct effect of guanxi closeness on followership is significant. Additionally, guanxi closeness weakens followership by reducing employee burnout. Meanwhile, guanxi closeness can decrease employees' power distance orientation (PDO) and then enhance followership. These findings reveal the dual impacts of guanxi closeness and extend our understanding of guanxi showing positive impact as well as negative impact. Therefore, managers should cultivate guanxi closeness with subordinates to enhance followership by reducing subordinates' PDO while providing resources and support to employees involved in burnout. These behaviors are conducive to helping managers to attain subordinates' following.