管理评论 ›› 2021, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (4): 236-247.

• 组织行为与人力资源管理 • 上一篇    下一篇

收益还是代价?领导跨界行为对领导绩效的积极与消极影响

宋萌1, 胡鹤颜1, 王震2   

  1. 1. 北京工业大学经济与管理学院, 北京 100124;
    2. 中央财经大学商学院, 北京 100081
  • 收稿日期:2020-06-04 出版日期:2021-04-28 发布日期:2021-05-06
  • 通讯作者: 王震(通讯作者),中央财经大学商学院教授,博士生导师,博士
  • 作者简介:宋萌,北京工业大学经济与管理学院副教授,硕士生导师,博士;胡鹤颜,北京工业大学经济与管理学院硕士研究生。
  • 基金资助:
    国家自然科学基金项目(71802013;71772193);教育部人文社会科学基金青年项目(17YJC630125)。

Benefits or Costs? The Positive and Negative Effects of Leader Boundary Spanning Behavior on Leader Performance

Song Meng1, Hu Heyan1, Wang Zhen2   

  1. 1. School of Economics and Management, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124;
    2. Business School, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing 100081
  • Received:2020-06-04 Online:2021-04-28 Published:2021-05-06

摘要: 既往研究发现了领导跨界行为对组织、团队和下属的积极效应。然而,领导跨界行为对领导者自身的影响究竟如何还鲜有研究关注。本研究基于资源保存理论,探讨了领导跨界行为对领导者自身工作绩效的作用过程及边界条件。通过收集82名研发主管连续13个工作日的动态数据,在个体内层次构建了“双刃剑”效应动态模型。结果表明:主管每日跨界行为能增加自身工作旺盛感,进而促进工作绩效,但同时也会增加自身情绪耗竭水平,降低绩效表现。主管的知识获取感知能显著放大领导跨界行为与工作旺盛感的积极关系,缓解领导跨界行为对情绪耗竭的消极影响。研究结果扩展了跨界行为的研究视角和范式,丰富了学界对该组织现象的认识,为组织进行有效的跨边界管理提供有益启示。

关键词: 领导跨界行为, 工作旺盛感, 情绪耗竭, 工作绩效, 知识获取

Abstract: Many studies have demonstrated that leader boundary spanning has positive effects on its recipients (e.g., organizations, teams and employees). However, little attention has been paid to the impact of leader boundary spanning on the actors (leaders). Since leaders play a dominant role in organizational development, it becomes more important to explore the meaningful effects and mechanisms of leader behaviors on themselves. Adopting an actor-centric perspective, the current research examines the double-edge sword effects of leader boundary spanning behavior by linking resource generation process and resource depletion process, then explores the boundary conditions to test how to enhance the accumulated path of resources, and buffer the loss path of resources. Hence, this study attempts to broaden our understanding of the consequences and perspectives of leader boundary spanning behavior.
To test the proposed theoretical model, the present study surveys 82 R&D managers from different industries in China using experience sampling method. One week before the start of the daily surveys, we sent a questionnaire containing the demographic information (e.g., age, gender, organization tenure and dyadic tenure) to the participants. During the daily survey, participants were sent two surveys each day while they were at work for 13 workdays. At time 1(3:30pm), managers completed measures of leader boundary spanning behavior, thriving at work, emotional exhaustion and role ambiguity. At time 2(8:30pm), managers completed the measures of job performance.
The results show that, (1) similar to other types of leader behavior, leader boundary spanning behavior is a short-term phenomenon. (2) Daily leader boundary spanning behavior is not only positively related to thriving at work and then increase their job performance, but also increased emotional exhaustion and therefore have negative effect on their performance. (3) Leader’s perception of knowledge acquisition influences the strength of daily relationship between leader boundary spanning behavior and its positive (thriving at work) and negative outcomes (emotional exhaustion), that is, high level knowledge acquisition strengthens the positive association between leader boundary spanning behavior and thriving at work whereas buffers the detrimental impact of leader boundary spanning behavior on emotional exhaustion.
Our research is important theoretically because it enriches and extends the current boundary spanning behavior literature. Specifically, (1) taking an actor perspective, this study explores both positive and negative effect of leader boundary spanning behavior, as well as the underlying mechanism, which can help understand the benefit and cost of this organizational phenomenon more comprehensively. (2) By revealing the boundary conditions, this study helps understand how maximize the positive effect and minimize the detrimental effect of leader boundary spanning behavior.

Key words: leader boundary spanning behavior, thriving at work, emotional exhaustion, job performance, knowledge acquisition