Supervisors' ability to manage their own emotions influences the effectiveness of their support-giving

Although supervisor support is generally considered a job resource that buffers the negative consequences of job demands, reverse-buffering effects have been found. It was proposed that supervisor support would be stress buffering when supervisors were skilled in emotion management and stress exacerbating when supervisors were low in emotion management. A sample of 210 US employees found three-way interactions on psychological strain, job burnout, and two stress-related intentions. Supportive supervisors high in emotion management buffered high emotional demands on psychological strain and medical advice intentions, but not burnout or turnover intentions. The stress-exacerbating hypothesis was not supported. Instead, employees with highly supportive supervisors low in emotion management reported low strain at low emotional demands. However, this benefit was diminished at high emotional demands