Hope-centered leadership: a resource for employee well-being

Purpose This study investigates whether hope-centered leadership (HCL) functions as a job resource within the framework of the job demands-resources (JD-R) model. While prior research has explored the importance of hope in employee well-being, no prior study has empirically examined whether leader behaviors that activate hope operate as a resource or demand in the JD-R framework. This study addresses that gap, proposing HCL as a leadership construct that enhances positive workplace outcomes and mitigates the effects of abusive supervision. Design/methodology/approach Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 501 employees across governmental, non-profit and law enforcement sectors. Participants averaged nine years of tenure in their organizations. Correlational analysis and structural equation modeling were employed to evaluate the relationships between HCL, collective hope, workplace well-being, exhaustion, and abusive supervision. Findings HCL demonstrated strong positive path effects on collective hope (β = 0.533, p < 0.01) and workplace well-being (β = 0.191, p < 0.01), and a negative path effect on exhaustion (β = −0.225, p < 0.01). Abusive supervision showed no significant direct effects on study outcomes, suggesting that environments characterized by higher HCL may diminish conditions under which abusive supervision typically operates. Originality/value This study provides the first empirical examination of HCL as a job resource within the JD-R framework, demonstrating its measurable associations with collective hope, well-being and exhaustion. It offers a practical framework for leadership development by emphasizing hope activation as a resource mechanism.