Can Misfit Be a Motivator of Helping and Voice Behaviors? Role of Leader–Follower Complementary Fit in Helping and Voice Behaviors. Issue 5 (October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kim, Mihee; Shin, Yuhyung; Gang, Min Cheol
• Is Part Of: Psychological reports. Volume 120:Issue 5(2017)
• Page Start: 870
• Page End: 894
• Publication Date: 2017-10
• Subjects: Leader–follower fit -- complementary fit -- prevention focus -- promotion focus -- transactional leadership -- transformational leadership -- helping behavior -- voice behavior; Psychology -- Periodicals; Psychiatry; Psychology; Psychologie -- Périodiques; Psychology; 150.5
• DOI: 10.1177/0033294117711131
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0033-2941

Abstract

This study explores the role of leader–follower complementary fit in predicting followers' helping and voice behaviors. We collected survey-based data from 645 employees in 119 South Korean teams and performed cross-level polynomial regression analyses and response surface tests. The cross-level polynomial regression analyses and post hoc analyses generally endorsed complementary fit effects, such that the levels of helping and voice behaviors were higher when promotion-focused followers interacted with less transformational leaders and when less promotion-focused followers interacted with transformational leaders. On the contrary, we detected a supplementary fit effect for prevention focus. More precisely, followers' helping behavior was more pronounced when their prevention focus was similar to the level of transactional leadership than where there was a mismatch between the two. These findings provide a nuanced perspective for understanding the differential roles of complementary and supplementary fit between transformational and transactional leadership and follower regulatory focus in predicting helping and voice behaviors.