Antecedents and Outcomes of Family-Supportive Supervisor Behaviors

This study investigated the effect of department heads' family-supportive supervisor behaviors (FSSB) on employees' work-home conflict by examining how and when department heads' FSSB flow down organizational levels to reduce employees' work-home conflict. Analyzing data from 272 employees and their managers in China, I found that there was a positive relationship between department heads' FSSB and managers' FSSB and that this relationship was mediated by managers' work-home leadership perspective. Managers' identification with their department head strengthened the main effect of department heads' FSSB on managers' work-home leadership perspective and the indirect effect of department heads' FSSB on managers' FSSB through managers' work-home leadership perspective. In addition, I found that the negative relationship between managers' FSSB and employees' work-home conflict was partially mediated by the degree of control employees have over their work. Employees' work-home segmentation preferences attenuated the main effect of employees' control at work on their work-home conflict and the indirect effect of managers' FSSB on employees' work-home conflict through employees' control at work. These findings tested previously unexplored theoretical predictions and suggest new directions for research on leadership and the work-home interface.Ph.D., Business Administration -- Drexel University, 201