Leaders Under Pressure: How Supervisors' Negative Family Events Translate into (or Undermine) Family-Supportive Behaviors

Abstract

This study draws on cognitive appraisal theory to unpack the paradoxical effects of supervisors’ negative family events on their engagement in family-supportive supervisor behaviors (FSSB). We theorize that negative family events act as a double-edged sword: while such events may deplete personal resources, they may also trigger self-reflection and growth, depending on how supervisors regulate work-family demands. Specifically, we propose that supervisors’ action regulation at the work-family interface moderates how these events are appraised—as either challenges that inspire efficacy and support, or hindrances that undermine confidence. Across four time points, using matched data from 299 supervisor-follower dyads, we find that when action regulation is high, negative family events are associated with greater challenge appraisal, which sequentially boost work-family balance self-efficacy and ultimately FSSB. In contrast, when action regulation is low, negative family events lead to hindrance appraisal, which do not predict self-efficacy or FSSB. These findings illuminate the cognitive and motivational mechanisms through which family challenges can either activate or suppress leadership supportive behaviors, thereby advancing theorizing on the integration of nonwork experiences into leadership functioning.