Leaders’ intensified job demands : Their multi-level associations with leader-follower relationships and follower well-being

Abstract

To study the ever-increasing pace of work practices, we investigated leader experiences of intensified job demands (IJDs) and their effects on followers. Based on the challenge-hindrance approach, different kinds of job demands may produce either negative or positive work-related outcomes. Using this perspective, we investigated the leaders IJDs against their followers’ satisfaction with them as leaders, follower evaluations of the leader-member exchange (LMX) relationship quality, and their personal well-being (burnout and work engagement). Of the four IJDs, (1) work intensification and (2) career-related planning demands were conceptualised as negative hindrances for leaders, whereas (3) job-related planning/decision-making and (4) knowledge/skill-related learning demands were conceptualised as positive challenges. The data included 236 leaders and 990 followers, analysed with multilevel modelling. Leader feelings of increasing pressure to autonomously plan their job associated positively with followers’ satisfaction. These job planning demands also associated with lower burnout and higher work engagement among followers. Contrary to expectation, leaders’ career planning demands were positively associated with follower engagement. Our findings contribute to leadership literature by providing novel evidence of the role of IJDs in leadership, not only as strenuous work demands, but also as positive challenges that can be beneficial for leader-follower relationships and follower well-being.