Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of supervisor gossip in the workplace. This paper proposes a hypothetical model in which supervisor gossip has an effect on leader-member exchange (LMX), in turn resulting in perceived supervisor ostracism among subordinates.
Design/methodology/approach
A dyadic research design was applied to collect data from Taiwanese employees. Supervisors participated in a survey containing measures of supervisor gossip and control variables, whereas subordinates responded to a questionnaire on LMX, perceived supervisor ostracism, and control variables.
Findings
The results indicated that positive supervisor gossip significantly affected LMX. Furthermore, healthy LMX reduced subordinates’ perceptions of supervisor ostracism.
Research limitations/implications
All participants were recruited in Taiwan, which is a limitation for generalising the research findings. Future studies should investigate multiple societies of various cultural profiles.
Practical implications
To improve the quality of the supervisor-subordinate relationship, supervisors should adopt a positive informal communication style, and organisations should provide supervisors with information regarding the implications of workplace gossip, illustrating the substantial benefits of positive gossip and the potential drawbacks of negative gossip.
Originality/value
The present study highlighted the role of supervisor workplace gossip in the field of leadership and empirically investigated the impact of supervisor gossip on subordinates’ reactions.
PurposeThis study established and examined a moderated mediation model connecting workplace ostracism with job performance. Drawing from the viewpoint of self-esteem threat, the model posits that the effect of workplace ostracism on job performance is mediated by levels of organization-based self-esteem, while the relationship between workplace ostracism and organization-based self-esteem is moderated by performance goal orientation.Design/methodology/approachMultisource data were collected from 160 employees and their immediate supervisors in Taiwan.FindingsAs predicted in the research model, workplace ostracism was found to decrease organization-based self-esteem and, therefore, hinder employees' job performance. Performance goal orientation was found to buffer the negative effect of workplace ostracism on job performance via organization-based self-esteem.Practical implicationsTo eliminate the negative impact of workplace ostracism, supervisors can help ostracized employees to self-regulate by aligning their performance goal orientation to reduce the perception of self-esteem threat.Originality/valueThis study provides evidence of boundary conditions for the relationship between workplace ostracism and job performance and explores the impact of self-regulation on ostracized employees' organization-based self-esteem and subsequent job performance.
Although researchers have confirmed the relationship between positive leadership styles and work-family enrichment, benevolent leadership has received little attention. Drawing from the concept of mood contagion, this study explores the underlying mechanism between benevolent leadership and work-family enrichment. Using a survey of 459 employees, across 36 supervisors and their work groups, and multilevel structural equation modelling, this study revealed that benevolent leadership is positively associated with work-family enrichment via cross-level paths. The results indicated that benevolent leadership is associated with positive group affective tone, which further predicts subordinates' work-family enrichment. Moreover, work engagement mediates the relationship between positive group affective tone and work-family enrichment. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
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