Leader Humor and Employee Proactive Behavior: The Mediating Role of Thriving at Work and the Moderating Role of Political Skill

Abstract

Abstract: Previous research suggests that leader plays a pivotal role in enhancing employee proactive behavior, yet we have little understanding of whether and how leader humor enhances employee proactive behavior. Based on the Conservation of Resources Theory (COR), we set out to shed light on the relationship between leader humor and employee proactive behavior. Specifically, we take account of both thriving at work, a personal resource, and employee’s political skill, a key resource, to uncover whether all employees benefit equally from leader humor (a contextual resource). In detail, we argue that the positive effect of leader humor on employee proactive behavior is mediated by thriving at work, and that employee’s political skill constitutes a boundary condition of this process. Our moderated mediation model is tested with 3 waves of data from 335 employees and their direct supervisors in 59 teams. The results support our hypotheses and reveal that thriving at work mediates the link between leader humor and increased employee proactive behavior. As predicted, we also find that employee’s political skill amplifies the mediated relationship between leader humor and employee proactive behavior via thriving at work.

Key words: leader humor, employee proactive behavior, thriving at work, political skill, Conservation of Resources Theory (COR)

Jiang Ping, Zhang Lihua. Leader Humor and Employee Proactive Behavior: The Mediating Role of Thriving at Work and the Moderating Role of Political Skill[J]. Management Review, 2022, 34(4): 194-203.

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