Abstract
The question of how leaders' expressions of anger influence their effectiveness has long intrigued researchers and practitioners. Drawing on emotions as social information theory, we suggest the effects of leaders' expressions of anger depend on both the type of violation about which anger is expressed and the type of leader who expresses it. We test this in a series of studies using experimental and field methods. Study 1 shows that a leader's anger expression in response to followers' integrity-based violations enhances observers' perceptions of leader effectiveness, whereas anger in response to followers' competence-based violations diminishes observers' perceptions of leader effectiveness. Study 2 shows that these divergent effects occur because anger in response to integrity-based violations elicits beneficial inferential reactions among followers who observed the anger, whereas anger in response to competence-based violations provokes harmful affective reactions. Study 3 demonstrates that the negative effects of anger expressed toward competence-based violations are exacerbated, and positive effects of anger expressed toward integrity-based violations weakened, when a leader is perceived as abusive. These findings help reconcile divergent perspectives on the effects of leader anger expression, suggesting that anger can enhance perceived leader effectiveness when expressed in the right situation and by the right person.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1050-1072 |
| Number of pages | 23 |
| Journal | Academy of Management Journal |
| Volume | 61 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 2018 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Business and International Management
- Business, Management and Accounting(all)
- Strategy and Management
- Management of Technology and Innovation
Cite this
Does anger expression help or harm leader effectiveness? The role of competence-based versus integrity-based violations and abusive supervision. / Wang, Lu; Restubog, Simon; Shao, Bo; Lu, Vinh; Van Kleef, Gerben A.
In: Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 61, No. 3, 06.2018, p. 1050-1072.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Does anger expression help or harm leader effectiveness? The role of competence-based versus integrity-based violations and abusive supervision
AU - Wang, Lu
AU - Restubog, Simon
AU - Shao, Bo
AU - Lu, Vinh
AU - Van Kleef, Gerben A.
PY - 2018/6
Y1 - 2018/6
N2 - The question of how leaders' expressions of anger influence their effectiveness has long intrigued researchers and practitioners. Drawing on emotions as social information theory, we suggest the effects of leaders' expressions of anger depend on both the type of violation about which anger is expressed and the type of leader who expresses it. We test this in a series of studies using experimental and field methods. Study 1 shows that a leader's anger expression in response to followers' integrity-based violations enhances observers' perceptions of leader effectiveness, whereas anger in response to followers' competence-based violations diminishes observers' perceptions of leader effectiveness. Study 2 shows that these divergent effects occur because anger in response to integrity-based violations elicits beneficial inferential reactions among followers who observed the anger, whereas anger in response to competence-based violations provokes harmful affective reactions. Study 3 demonstrates that the negative effects of anger expressed toward competence-based violations are exacerbated, and positive effects of anger expressed toward integrity-based violations weakened, when a leader is perceived as abusive. These findings help reconcile divergent perspectives on the effects of leader anger expression, suggesting that anger can enhance perceived leader effectiveness when expressed in the right situation and by the right person.
AB - The question of how leaders' expressions of anger influence their effectiveness has long intrigued researchers and practitioners. Drawing on emotions as social information theory, we suggest the effects of leaders' expressions of anger depend on both the type of violation about which anger is expressed and the type of leader who expresses it. We test this in a series of studies using experimental and field methods. Study 1 shows that a leader's anger expression in response to followers' integrity-based violations enhances observers' perceptions of leader effectiveness, whereas anger in response to followers' competence-based violations diminishes observers' perceptions of leader effectiveness. Study 2 shows that these divergent effects occur because anger in response to integrity-based violations elicits beneficial inferential reactions among followers who observed the anger, whereas anger in response to competence-based violations provokes harmful affective reactions. Study 3 demonstrates that the negative effects of anger expressed toward competence-based violations are exacerbated, and positive effects of anger expressed toward integrity-based violations weakened, when a leader is perceived as abusive. These findings help reconcile divergent perspectives on the effects of leader anger expression, suggesting that anger can enhance perceived leader effectiveness when expressed in the right situation and by the right person.
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U2 - 10.5465/amj.2015.0460
DO - 10.5465/amj.2015.0460
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85049859820
VL - 61
SP - 1050
EP - 1072
JO - Academy of Management Journal
JF - Academy of Management Journal
SN - 0001-4273
IS - 3
ER -