Leadership during a time of high work and family needs

Purpose This study investigates the effects of directive and empowering leadership on employee work-to-family conflict (WFC) and family-to-work conflict (FWC) and turnover intentions by integrating the contingency perspective of leadership with conservation of resources theory. Design/methodology/approach A three-wave survey was conducted in 2020 and 2021, recruiting participants via Qualtrics (928 at Time 1, 548 at Time 2, 433 at Time 3). Hypotheses were tested using hierarchical regression and bootstrapping. Findings Findings reveal that greater directive leadership from their supervisor increases employee turnover intentions through higher WFC and FWC, while empowering leadership decreases turnover intentions through lower WFC and FWC. The study also shows that the indirect effects of directive and empowering leadership on turnover intentions via WFC and FWC are amplified when employees’ work–family balance self-efficacy (WFBSE) is lower. In contrast, when WFBSE is higher, the indirect effects are not significant. Originality/value Our findings address a missing link between the leadership and work–family literatures and provide useful insights for leadership theory and practice during a time when employees’ need for resources and support is high.