Full-range leadership, follower envy, and the effects on organizational citizenship behaviors and work deviances

Abstract

This study explores the influence of full-range leadership approaches (transformational, transactional, and passive avoidant) on followers’ envy and the influence of envy on organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) and work deviances (WDs). We conducted two three-wave studies involving 784 employees and 206 supervisors from diverse industries. Based on followers’ perceptions of leadership (study 1) and leaders’ rated leadership styles (study 2), the Bayesian multilevel results reveal that transactional leadership is positively associated with followers’ envy, while transformational leadership is negatively associated with envy. Passive avoidant leadership has no significant relationship with envy (study 2). Envy acts as a bridge connecting transformational and transactional leadership styles and their effects on OCBs (study 1), as well as their impact on WDs (study 2). This research enhances the understanding of how full-range leadership styles impact followers’ envy and provides a noteworthy extension to the ever-growing literature on the nexus of leadership and envy.