When do employees take charge under daily work stressors? explaining the moderating effects of coaching leadership and learning goal orientation

Drawing on affective events theory and the job demands-resources model, this study investigates the influence of daily work stressors on employees’ taking charge and the conditions under which this influence occurs. A daily diary study was conducted over five consecutive working days with a sample of 168 employees from a large accounting firm in China. Findings revealed that daily challenge stressors had a positive direct effect on taking charge, whereas the relationship between daily hindrance stressors and taking charge was nonsignificant. Daily challenge stressors positively influenced vigor, which in turn promoted same-day taking charge. Conversely, daily hindrance stressors had a negative effect on vigor, thereby inhibiting taking charge on that specific day. Furthermore, daily coaching leadership alleviated the negative impact of hindrance stressors on vigor. Additionally, learning goal orientation strengthened the positive effect of challenge stressors on vigor while attenuating the negative effect of hindrance stressors on vigor. Taken together, these findings contribute to understanding the affective mechanisms through which daily challenge and hindrance stressors influence taking charge and provide practical strategies for organizations to effectively manage employees’ work stress.