To read this content please select one of the options below:

Learning from your leaders and helping your coworkers: the trickle-down effect of leader helping behavior

Zhenduo Zhang (School of Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China)
Li Zhang (School of Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China)
Jing Xiu (School of Economics, University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China)
Junwei Zheng (Department of Construction Management, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China)

Leadership & Organization Development Journal

ISSN: 0143-7739

Article publication date: 15 July 2020

Issue publication date: 18 July 2020

1182

Abstract

Purpose

Based on the social cognitive theory, this research analyzed the helping behavior of leaders and its trickle-down effect on an employee's helping behavior. Additionally, this study analyzed the relationship between an employee's helping behavior and thriving at work.

Design/methodology/approach

Cellphones were used to collect data using the experience sampling method from 74 participants over five consecutive days (N = 370), and the conceptual model was analyzed at the episode level.

Findings

This research examined the helping behavior of employees and its role in mediating the relationship between a leader's helping behavior and an employee's thriving at work. Psychological availability moderates this indirect relationship; and high psychological availability increases the indirect influence of a leader's helping behavior on an employee's helping behavior, which in turn increases employee's thriving at work.

Originality/value

The findings of this research shed light on a new social cognitive mechanism through which the helping behavior of leaders enhances an employee's thriving at work.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This research is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (71772052, 71701083) and Academic Innovation Program of University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.Conflict of interest: The authors have declared that no conflict of interest exists.Author contributions: All the authors contribute equally to this paper.

Citation

Zhang, Z., Zhang, L., Xiu, J. and Zheng, J. (2020), "Learning from your leaders and helping your coworkers: the trickle-down effect of leader helping behavior", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 41 No. 6, pp. 883-894. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-07-2019-0317

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

Related articles