Leaders' Perceptions of their Responsibility for
Employees’ Recovery
Ronit Kark
Bar-Ilan University
Department of Psychology
karkronit@gmail.com
Sabin Sonnentag
Tamir Rubin
Bar-Ilan University
Department of Psychology
Abstract
Purpose - The goal of this study is to identify components of Leaders'
Responsibility for Recovery (LRR) by examining how leaders can enhance
employees’ ability to recover from work.
Design/Methodology – Managers completed open-ended questionnaires and
described critical incidents in which they fostered employees' recovery from
work. These incidents were analyzed using qualitative methods of theme
analyses (N=65).
Results – Managers were found to use a variety of behavioral, emotional,
cognitive and structural cues in order to recognize employees’ need for recovery.
Managers engaged in four types of interventions to foster recovery: verbal
intervention, aimed at helping the employee to make cognitive shift; emotional
intervention, aimed at encouragement and alleviating employees’ emotional
load; relational intervention, aimed at shaping the leader-follower relationship;
and structural intervention, aimed at alterations of the work structure, schedule,
and environment. Managers reported positive outcomes following all types of
interventions. We discuss these findings in the light of current research on
recovery, responsible leadership, and leader-follower relations.
Limitations – Results are limited to the managers’ view on employees’ recovery
and may benefit from including employees' perspective. Furthermore, managers
referred mostly to incidents involving a single employee, which may divert the
focus from interventions focusing on team and organizational recovery.
Practical Implications – Our results can be used to develop a survey instrument
to assess LRR; moreover, our findings can inform management training on
employees’ recovery.
Originality/Value – Employee's recovery from work affects employees’
functioning in major life domains. Better understanding leadership behaviors
sheds light on one important factor that influences employee recovery.