The Double-Edged Sword of Leader Humility: Investigating When and Why Leader Humility Promotes Versus Inhibits Subordinate Deviance

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Qin, Xin; Chen, Chen; Yam, Kai Chi; Huang, Mingpeng; Ju, Dong
• 署名单位: Sun Yat Sen University; National University of Singapore; University of International Business & Economics; Beijing Normal University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0021-9010
• DOI: 10.1037/apl0000456
• 发表日期: 2020
• 页码: 693-712
• 关键词: humility; self-serving attribution; PSYCHOLOGICAL ENTITLEMENT; LEADER-MEMBER EXCHANGE; WORKPLACE DEVIANCE

摘要

Extant research has uniformly demonstrated that leader humility is beneficial for subordinates, teams, and even organizations. Drawing upon attribution theory, we challenge this prevailing conclusion by identifying a potential dark side of leader humility and suggesting that leader humility can be a mixed blessing. We propose that the effects of leader humility hinge on subordinates' attributions of such humble behavior. On the one hand, when subordinates attribute leader humility in a self-serving way, leader humility is positively associated with subordinate psychological entitlement, which in turn increases workplace deviance. On the other hand, when subordinates do not attribute leader humility in a self-serving way, leader humility is positively associated with leader-member exchange, which in turn decreases workplace deviance. We found support for our hypotheses across a field study and an experiment. Taken together, our findings reveal the perils and benefits of leader humility and the importance of examining subordinate attributions in this unique leadership process.