Turning the tide on turnover: The impact of empowering leadership on the work-family spillover of managers

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the direct and indirect relationships between empowering leadership (EL), work-family spillover and manager turnover intentions, and to explore the moderating impact of perceived organizational support (POS) on these relationships. The study collected data from 220 participants—middle-level managers and their immediate subordinates working in hotels and tourism-related enterprises in central China. The results highlighted a significant relationship between EL and work-family positive spillover (WFPS) and manager turnover intentions, whereas the mediating effect of work-family negative spillover (WFNS) was found to be insignificant. The results further indicated that POS exerted a significant moderating impact on the association between EL and manager turnover intentions, and a significant mediating impact on WFPS. The study also determined that neither the mediating impact of WFNS nor the relationship between EL and WFNS was affected by POS. The study provides a unique perspective on empowering leadership based on the Conservation of Resources theory, and contributes to the understanding of its effects on manager turnover intentions.