Sabine Korek

The relation between transformational leadership and follower emotional strain: The moderating role of professional ambition

The present study tests a model of moderated mediation in the relationship between transformational leadership and follower emotional strain. Based on the job demands-resources model, we suggest that transformational leaders may be able to decrease follower emotional strain by providing social support. It is also proposed that a protective effect of social support from a transformational leader will depend on the employees’ level of professional ambition. Mediation by social support may be stronger for ambitious employees, such that transformational leadership may be associated with less emotional strain for these employees (moderated mediation). A sample of 199 employees participated in a cross-sectional study in Germany. Results confirmed the hypothesized moderated mediation indicating a health-promoting effect of supervisory social support for ambitious employees (not found for low levels of ambition). The study suggests that the idea of a general positive effect of transformational leadership on followers’ emotional strain is not appropriate.

The joint impact of microeconomic parameters and job insecurity perceptions on commitment towards one’s job, occupation and career: A multilevel approach

This study investigates the relationship of microeconomic parameters and subjective job insecurity perceptions with vocational commitment, i.e. commitment towards one’s job, occupation and career in a sample of 236 individuals, nested in 47 German administrative districts. Applying a multilevel approach, job insecurity (quantitative and qualitative) and vocational commitment indicators (operationalized via job involvement, occupational commitment and career satisfaction) were measured at the individual level, whereas microeconomic parameters were collected at the level of administrative district. In addition to regional unemployment rates, we included two further economic parameters, namely change in gainful employment (i.e., change in a district’s number of gainful workers) and change in economic growth (i.e., change in a district’s GDP). It is worth noting that our findings only revealed spillover effects from economic parameters on qualitative (not quantitative) job insecurity on a bivariate level (not after considering controls in multilevel regressions). Cross-level interactions further indicated that environmental economic conditions are important for the relationship between subjective job insecurity perceptions and outcomes.

Career-related self-efficacy, its antecedents and relationship to subjective career success in a cross-lagged panel study

Abstract In a cross-lagged study using two-wave data of N = 581 employees from Germany, we explored the role of career-related self-efficacy beliefs as a main cause of subjective career success – reflected by the two indicators of self-rated success, and career satisfaction. Moreover, we aimed at shedding light on those antecedents (exceeding demands, transformational leadership, emotional strain) that, according to Bandura’s four sources of self-efficacy (performance accomplishments, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, physiological states), could be shaped to foster career-related self-efficacy. Results of SEM were mostly in line with our theoretical assumptions. Career-related self-efficacy turned out to boost career satisfaction though not self-rated success. However there was a lagged effect from self-rated success to self-efficacy. In addition, we found exceeding demands and emotional strain negatively affecting career-related self-efficacy, whereas leadership showed only an impact when simultaneously analyzed with the other sources; and contradicting to our theorizing transformational leadership behavior diminished self-efficacy experiences.

Führungsspielräume nutzen und erweitern

Unter welchen Umstanden sind Fuhrungskrafte in der Lage, Eine Abteilung, einen Bereich oder sogar ein ganzes Unternehmen effektiv zu fuhren? Dieser Beitrag lenkt die Aufmerksamkeit auf die Frage, welche Arbeitsbedingungen Fuhrungskrafte bei ihren Fuhrungsaufgaben unterstutzen oder behindern konnen. Mit dem Fuhrungsspielraum stellen wir eine zentrale Ressource fur das effektive Fuhrungshandeln vor. Ausgehend von der Tatsache, dass Spielraume fur Mitarbeitende mit und ohne Fuhrungsverantwortung eine der wichtigsten Arbeitsbedingungen sind, um Leistung und Motivation zu fordern und Stress abzumildern, wurde das Konzept des Fuhrungsspielraumes entwickelt. Fuhrungsspielraum beschreibt, inwieweit Fuhrungskrafte in den Bereichen Personalverantwortung, Delegation und Kontrolle von Aufgaben sowie Organisation und Koordination ausreichende Freiheiten besitzen, um ihren Fuhrungsaufgaben nachkommen zu konnen. Es werden das Messinstrument mit seinen zehn Fragen sowie dessen Anwendung in einem betrieblichen Interventionsprozess vorgestellt. Wir schliesen mit Hinweisen darauf, wie Fuhrungsspielraume allgemein und spezifisch zur Gesundheits- und Karriereforderung von Mitarbeitern – also fur zwei zentrale Fuhrungsaufgaben – genutzt werden konnen.

Health at Work Through Health-Promoting Leadership

Health-promotion in the work-place is becoming increasingly important in the face of rising absences caused by psychological issues. This chapter proposes health-promoting leadership as a means of improving employees’ well-being. Health-promoting leadership is defined as leadership behavior that provides job resources and limits high job demands and thus has the potential to increase followers’ well-being and motivation. Moreover, implications for the design of training programs with a focus on health-promoting leadership and guidelines for their successful implementation are presented.

Führung und Gesundheit

Auf der Basis aktueller Entwicklungen und in Anlehnung an die Konzeption von 5 Strategien zur Beeinflussung der Mitarbeitergesundheit durch Fuhrungskrafte nach Wegge, J, Shemla, M, Haslam, S.A (2014) Leader behavior as a determinant of health at work: Specification and evidence of five key pathways. Zeitschrift fur Personalforschung, 28(2):6–23 werden Fuhrungskraften funf konkrete praktische Handlungswege aufgezeigt, Gesunde Fuhrung im Unternehmen zu leben.