Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

acceptedVersion

Publication Date

7-2021

Abstract

Supervisors often have to manage conflicting and contradictory demands in increasingly dynamic work environments. In the process of doing so, they may express emotional ambivalence observed by subordinates. Drawing on emotions as social information (EASI) theory and research on unpredictability and stress, we examine when and why supervisor expressed emotional ambivalence influence subordinate outcomes. In two studies, we find that supervisor expressed emotional ambivalence is indirectly related to subordinate task engagement via supervisor unpredictability (Studies 1 and 2). In addition, supervisor unpredictability and anticipated stress serially mediate the effect of supervisor expressed emotional ambivalence on task engagement (Studies 3 and 4). Furthermore, the target of supervisor expressed emotional ambivalence moderates this indirect effect, such that the negative indirect effect is stronger for a subordinate when supervisor expressed emotional ambivalence is directed toward him/her as opposed to another subordinate (Study 4). We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings.

Keywords

Emotions, Emotional ambivalence, Unpredictability, Anticipated stress, Task engagement, Target of expressed emotional ambivalence

Discipline

Human Resources Management | Organizational Behavior and Theory

Research Areas

Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources

Publication

Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes

Volume

165

First Page

139

Last Page

152

ISSN

0749-5978

Identifier

10.1016/j.obhdp.2021.05.001

Publisher

Elsevier

Embargo Period

7-19-2022

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2021.05.001

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