How does leader–subordinate construal fit affect task performance of subordinates? The role of emotional exhaustion and adaptive expertise

Introduction Work efficiency can be enhanced through effective communication among organizational members. According to construal level theory and ego-depletion theory, leader–subordinate construal unfit can complicate communication, deplete subordinates' cognitive resources and lower productivity at work. The current article explores the relationship between leader–subordinate construal fit and subordinates' task performance, as well as the mediating role of emotional exhaustion and the moderating role of subordinates' adaptive expertise. Methods A total of 313 Chinese employees were participated the experiment at two time points. The response surface analysis was used to analyze how the leader–subordinate construal level fit impact the task performance. Results Results revealed that leader–subordinate construal unfit led to emotional exhaustion of subordinates. When subordinate's construal level is high and the leader's is low, the subordinate experiences more emotional exhaustion compared with the reverse condition that subordinate's has low construal level and leader is high. The relationship between leader–subordinate construal fit and task performance is mediated by subordinates' emotional exhaustion. In addition, subordinates' adaptive expertise moderates the relationship between emotional exhaustion and task performance. Discussion This research enhances understanding of leader–subordinate fit and its impact on subordinates' work task performance. Moreover, this study combines CLT and ego-depletion theory to examine how leader–subordinate construal fit influences task performance, enriching existing research. The implications and practice are discussed.