Strengths-Based Leadership and Employee Psychological Well-Being: A Moderated Mediation Model

Abstract

Drawing upon ability-motivation-opportunity model, the present study attempts to inspect the association of strengths-based leadership with employee psychological well-being and the mediational role of employee strengths use and the moderating role of job autonomy in the linkage. Data were gathered using a three-wave survey from a sample of 308 employees working in a wide variety of organizations in China. Results of multiple regression analyses with bootstrapping procedure revealed that strengths-based leadership positively relates to employee psychological well-being even after controlling for employee core self-evaluation. In addition, employee strengths use was found to partially mediate the relationship of strengths-based leadership with employee psychological well-being, and this study demonstrated job autonomy to positively moderate the direct relationship of strengths-based leadership with strengths use of employee and the indirect association of strengths-based leadership with employee psychological well-being through employee strengths use. The present study advances strengths-based leadership and psychological well-being theories and research.