Abstract/Summary

In this longitudinal study, we extend theory on leadership identity construction by integrating the process of emotional labor into leadership identity claims. The study aims to fulfill the gap in the relevant literature about how emotions are managed to gain relational recognition in the process of leadership identity construction, specifically among healthcare hybrid managers who fulfill both clinical and managerial duties. Using random coefficient modeling, effects of deep acting, surface acting, and genuine emotion on the change of leadership identity at the relational level were tested on a sample of 106 manager-employee dyads over three consecutive time points. The results suggest variability in both initial leadership identity and changing rates. Hybrid managers conducting effortful strategies: deep and surface acting, have lower initial leadership identity. However, the effortful strategies help hybrid managers improve their leadership identity over time, while the effortless strategy or genuine emotion negatively interacts with the process of leadership identity construction. Our findings highlight the importance of cognitive attention required in the emotional process of leadership identity construction.