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The role of task dependence in supervisor’s gratitude when empowering: A quantitative diary study

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Abstract

Scholars have shown growing interest in leader-member exchange (LMX). Primary studies have considerably focused on the subordinate-related antecedents of LMX. However, the studies have an evident gap in the examination of when and how supervisors’ behavior and emotion affect themselves and their LMX relationships with subordinates. Given the potent role of a supervisors’ affective characteristics, we explored how empowering behavior may influence supervisors though a quantitative diary study. Results indicated that only when a supervisor has high task dependence on the subordinate can empowering behavior increase the supervisor’s gratitude, thus leading to higher LMX-affect. By shifting the primary focus from subordinates’ perceptions to supervisors’ psychological activities, we provided a supervisor perspective that enhances our understanding of both empowering behavior and the development of LMX.

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  1. School of Business, Renmin University of China, No.59 Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing, 100872, China

    Ruowen Shen & Feng Gao

  2. School of Business, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing, China

    Yao Wang

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Shen, R., Wang, Y. & Gao, F. The role of task dependence in supervisor’s gratitude when empowering: A quantitative diary study. Curr Psychol 43, 11830–11840 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05302-9

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