Leader roles, organization-based self-esteem, and employee outcomes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between different managerial roles and organization-based self-esteem (OBSE), and employee job satisfaction, organization commitment, and turnover and absence intentions. Design/methodology/approach – Survey data were collected from 1,386 employees in a high technology industry. Employees described the roles their managers fulfilled, and then rated their own OBSE, satisfaction, commitment, and turnover and absence intent. Findings – Different managerial roles had different relationships with OBSE, which mediated the relationships between some of the management roles and employee outcomes. Research limitations/implications – This study used a cross-sectional design with single source data in a single industry. Future research should examine these relationships using longitudinal designs, multiple data sources, and a variety of industries. Practical implications – Managers should be aware that their behaviors affect employee self-esteem, which in turn has strong relationships with a variety of important outcomes. Managers should be trained to manifest behaviors that increase employee self-esteem. Originality/value – This is the first study to examine the effects of management roles on organization-based self-esteem, and ultimately employee satisfaction, commitment, and withdrawal intentions.