Abstract/Summary

This PhD thesis is a collection of three independent papers with the overall objective to explore the process of leader emotional labour from the perspective of leader identity work, particularly in leader-follower role relationships. Paper 1 takes a relational identity approach to conceptualise underlying emotional dynamics of leaderfollower relationships, using managers in healthcare as an exemplar of leaders who occupy multiple role identities at work. The paper proposes the conceptual framework of leader emotional labour based on the salience of leader role identity and their personal latitude. Some propositions are provided to guide on how to use the developed framework in future research. Paper 2 offers a longitudinal multilevel model of emotional labour changes within leaders. The paper uses random coefficient modelling to analyse the multiwave leader-follower dyadic data. The findings reveal the impact of between-leader difference: leader relational self-concept, and the moderating effect of leader-follower relational self-concept similarity on leaders emotional labour and its changes within leaders over time. With this, the paper proposes a person-based mechanism of emotional labour antecedents that is influenced by the heterogeneity of significant followers in role-relationships. Meaningful changes in emotional labour within leaders over time provide some unique insight into emotional labour processes in leader-follower relationships. Paper 3 investigates indirect effects of emotional labour in leader identity work on supervisor well-being through social validation from followers in the presence of leader identity threat. Using structural equation modelling to analyse the multiwave leader-follower dyadic data, the results illustrate the significant boundary conditions where social validation from followers can function differently in leader emotional labour when their leader identity is under threat.