Followers’ role breadth self-efficacy matters: examining the “double-edged sword” effects of empowering leadership

Purpose Given the widespread adoption of empowerment in the workplace, increasing research has investigated the influences of empowering leadership. However, previous research has found confounding effects of it. This study aims to examine how and when empowering leadership exhibits “double-edged sword” effects on followers’ work outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The authors used a three-wave survey with a final sample of 215 full-time employees to test the research model. Findings The results indicate that followers’ role-breadth self-efficacy (RBSE) interacted with empowering leadership to predict their hindrance-related stress, subsequently influencing their turnover intention. Specifically, empowering leadership is found to elicit hindrance-related stress among followers with low RBSE. Furthermore, empowering leadership indirectly affects turnover intention by eliciting hindrance-related stress only among followers with low RBSE. Originality/value This study broadens the exploration of the “dark side” of empowering leadership, offering a more nuanced explanation of how it can lead to both beneficial and detrimental outcomes. It refines the understanding of empowering leadership’s effectiveness by highlighting the role of followers’ RBSE rather than focusing solely on the degree of empowerment. In addition, by contributing to the stress theory, this research demonstrates how individual differences influence followers’ cognitive appraisal of stress, shaping distinct stress experiences and driving the adoption of varying work-related coping strategies.