Do daily leader and colleague behaviours matter for work effort? The role of daily basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration

Purpose Drawing on self-determination theory, this paper examines whether daily need-supportive versus need-thwarting behaviours from leaders and colleagues independently predict employees’ work effort through daily need satisfaction and frustration. Design/methodology/approach In total, 68 South African employees completed daily diaries for 10 days (557 days-level observations). The data were analysed using multilevel structural equation modelling. Findings The results revealed a dual-process model in which daily need-supportive behaviours of the leader and colleagues independently boosted work effort via need satisfaction. Daily need-thwarting behaviours were negatively related to work effort via need frustration. Both sources of interpersonal behaviours mattered for need-based experiences, but daily need satisfaction showed a stronger association with work effort than daily need frustration. Practical implications Organisations should prioritise interventions to enhance daily need-supportive interactions for colleagues and leaders. Originality/value This study is among the first to isolate the within-person impacts of vertical and horizontal need-related behaviours – capturing both the “bright” (supportive) and “dark” (thwarting) sides – in the South African context.