Showing papers in "Journal of Managerial Psychology in 2005"

The experience of work‐related stress across occupations

Abstract: Purpose – To compare the experience of occupational stress across a large and diverse set of occupations. Three stress related variables (psychological well‐being, physical health and job satisfaction) are discussed and comparisons are made between 26 different occupations on each of these measures. The relationship between physical and psychological stress and job satisfaction at an occupational level is also explored.Design/methodology/approach – The measurement tool used is a short stress evaluation tool which provides information on a number of work related stressors and stress outcomes. Out of the full ASSET database 26 occupations were selected for inclusion in this paper.Findings – Six occupations are reporting worse than average scores on each of the factors – physical health, psychological well‐being and job satisfaction (ambulance workers, teachers, social services, customer services – call centres, prison officers and police). Differences across and within occupational groups, for example, teac...

Assessing leadership styles and organisational context

Abstract: Purpose – To investigate the new leadership dimensions questionnaire (LDQ) and a related framework for assessing an individual's leadership style in relation to the context in which the leader works; the three new LDQ sub‐scales designed to measure organisational context, follower commitment and leader performance; and the relationship between personality and leadershipDesign/methodology/approach – Research is reported on LDQ data from a large sample of leaders and managers (n 222) from a range of public and private organisations A style score was calculated and then related to data on respondents' biographical – job function, gender, sector and nationality – and FFM personality dataFindings – Results show a reasonably even allocation across all three leadership styles and that the styles are independent of the four important biographical variables They also show that the five FFM personality factors do not account for any additional variance on any of the styles at a significant level Results on the

Types of intragroup conflict and affective reactions

Abstract: Purpose – Seeks to evaluate the link between task and relationship conflict, and their influence on some employees' affective reactions such as satisfaction, wellbeing, and propensity to leave a job; and to analyse the mediated and moderated role of relationship conflict.Design/methodology/approach – The study involved 169 employees from six service organizations (hotels) in Andalusia (Spain). A questionnaire was used containing different measures: task and relationship conflict, wellbeing, job satisfaction, and propensity to leave the job.Findings – The two types of conflict have different consequences. Data show that relationship conflict is negatively associated with affective reactions, while task conflict does not relate directly to affective reactions in a predictable way; relationship conflict has a positive influence on the desire to leave the current job, while task conflict does not affect it negatively; the interactive effect of relationships and task conflict shows that this interaction contri...

Change‐oriented leadership, satisfaction and performance in work groups

Abstract: Purpose – To analyse the impact of change‐oriented leaders on group outcomes An explanatory model is proposed, in which the team climate (in particular as it relates to innovation) mediates between change‐oriented leadership and group outcomes, while group potency reinforces this relationshipDesign/methodology/approach – This study is designed as a correlative and cross‐level research The sample comprises 318 health‐care professionals in 78 health‐care teams at different public hospitals throughout SpainFindings – Hierarchical regression analysis was used to evaluate mediating and moderating effects Results offer considerable empirical support for the proposed modelResearch limitations/implications – It would be of interest to increase the sample, differentiate it by service, and to get samples from other sectors, as well as to carry out experimental and longitudinal research It would also be interesting to further explore the conditions that implement change‐oriented leadership impact, analysing e

Ubuntu as a key African management concept: contextual background and practical insights for knowledge application

Abstract: Purpose – To explore how an increasing attention which is being paid to language and culture in organisations can help people to understand the impact of particular management concepts in business practices.Design/methodology/approach – A range of publications has been selected to indicate how important language in organisations is and how particular cultural backgrounds influence the applicabilty of management concepts. This has been illustrated with the concept Ubuntu, which gains popularity in South Africa.Findings – The applicabilty of Ubuntu in companies will rely on the habitus of the manager to be a good conversationalist.Originality/value – So far the Western literature about management knowledge has neglected the development of particular management concepts originating in other parts of the world.

An examination of the general decision making style questionnaire in two UK samples

Abstract: – To examine the psychometric properties and construct validity of the general decision making style (GDMS) questionnaire in two UK samples.Design/methodology/approach – The GDMS takes the form of a self‐report questionnaire which identifies five decision making styles: rational, intuitive, dependent, avoidant, and spontaneous. It was administered to samples of business studies undergraduates in two UK business schools. Analyses included scale reliabilities, test‐re‐test reliability, and both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses.Findings – The instrument's internal and temporal consistencies were generally sound. Consistent with earlier studies, analyses undertaken on the two samples independently were generally supportive of a five factor model of decision making style. No relationships with gender or year of study were observed.Research limitations/implications – Whilst generally supportive of the GDMS, results suggest that further validation work is required. This could include consideration of the relationships between the GDMS and other measures of cognitive/personality style.Practical implications – The managerial implications of the strengths of and relationships between the different decision making styles observed are discussed.Originality/value – The paper fulfils a stated requirement for further validation study of the GDMS instrument.

The role of leader-member exchange in high turnover work environments

Abstract: Purpose – To assess the role of leader‐member exchange (LMX) in affecting voluntary turnover in a high turnover work context.Design/methodology/approach – Following consideration of traditional predictors of employee turnover, how LMX is related to voluntary turnover is examined among 207 over‐the‐road truck drivers using a telephone survey.Findings – Leader member exchange is found to be nonlinearly related to turnover such that turnover is lowest when LMX is moderate (i.e. both “bad” and “good” LMX are associated with higher levels of turnover).Research limitations/implications – Findings indicate that LMX and other antecedents should be examined for nonlinear relationships to turnover. This research may help to bridge the gap between turnover research and that associated with supervision and leadership.Practical implications – These study results suggest that unrealistic expectations should not be formed regarding the power of any single factor (e.g. LMX) to reduce turnover.Originality/value – This pap...

Procedural and distributive justice effects moderated by organizational identification

Abstract: – The purpose of the research was to test whether the widely known interaction between procedural and distributive justice influences cooperation, but only when employees’ identification with the organization is strong., – A survey study was conducted in a company, including scales assessing distributive justice, procedural justice, employees’ sense of organizational identification and willingness to cooperate., – The results showed that this interaction effect was only found among those with a strong sense of organizational identification. However, the pattern of this interaction was different from the pattern found in previous studies, that is, both high procedural and distributive justice was required to best predict cooperation., – These findings identify yet another important moderator of the interaction between distributive justice and procedural justice, but also show that because of the cognitive content of the measure of organizational identification, the shape of the interaction is different than the one predicted by prior research.

Exploring the effects of intragroup conflict and past performance feedback on team effectiveness

Abstract: – The purpose of this paper is to test a model of the effects of intragroup conflict (relationship conflict, task conflict and process conflict), past performance feedback and perceptions of team decision‐making effectiveness on team performance and affective responses., – A sample of 183 individuals, working in 47 different teams, participated in this study. All the teams were involved in a national management challenge for a five‐week period. Three questionnaires were sent directly to team members by e‐mail at different times of the challenge period to collect data concerning demographic data (questionnaire 1), perceptions of team functioning (questionnaire 2) and perceptions of team decision‐making effectiveness as well as the affective responses (questionnaire 3). The level of analysis in this study was the group. Thus, all individual survey responses were aggregated to the team level for statistical analysis., – Results showed a full mediation effect of perceptions of team decision in the relationship between process conflict and team performance. Task and relationship conflict showed no significant relationships with team performance and satisfaction with the team. The result that effective past performance feedback directly influences team performance, in a positive way, suggests that past effective decisions may reinforce the decision‐making processes previously used by team members., – One possible limitation of this study is the fact that measurements were taken at different times of the management challenge. In fact, while intragroup conflict was measured two weeks after the beginning of the challenge, the other variables were measured at the end of the challenge. This time measurement difference could raise some questions concerning the stability of the intragroup conflict over time in work teams. Future research should address this hypothesis. Future research should also elucidate the influence of contextual variables, such as cultural values, on the relationship between intragroup conflict and performance outcomes., – This study helps managers to understand how to benefit from conflict. In a highly competitive environment, disagreement among team members about “how to do it” seems to decrease decision‐making effectiveness., – This study fills a gap in the conflict literature concerning the impact of intragroup conflict in the team members' perceptions of decision‐making effectiveness and how it affects the overall performance. Moreover, this study also clarifies the importance of past performance to the actual team outcomes.

Attitudes towards women managers in theUnited Arab Emirates

Abstract: Purpose – This study aims to investigate the United Arab Emirates (UAE) society's attitudes towards women managers held by a sample of 186 participants.Design/methodology/approach – The subjects completed the newly developed multidimensional aversion to women who work scale (MAWWWS). The study validates the scale in an Arab non‐Western context.Findings – The results reveal that UAE students have significantly different attitudes towards women managers from those of the older generations. There are significant differences between males' and females' perceptions of women's roles and participation in society. The study predicts that modernity may diminish patriarchal attitudes towards women managers in the Arab world.Originality/value – This study has provided some insights into the factors associated with attitudes towards women managers in the UAE. This research contributes to the literature on cross‐cultural studies by systematically assessing the attitudes towards women managers in the UAE.

Effects of task interdependence and type of communication on performance in virtual teams

Abstract: Purpose – To investigate the effects of within‐group task interdependence and the degree of communications synchrony on performance in virtual teams (VT).Design/methodology/approach – A 2 × 2 factorial design of 240 participants in Spain, randomly assigned to 80 three‐person teams, was used. Teams worked virtually (not meeting face‐to‐face), performing a merit‐rating task in a laboratory setting.Findings – The analyses revealed an interaction effect between task interdependence and synchrony of communication. High values of VT performance were found both under conditions of “low task interdependence” and “asynchrony of communication” and under conditions of “high task interdependence” and “synchrony of communication”. The results show that superior VT performance is contingent on the match between the nature of the task and the choice of communications modality.Research limitations/implications – First, additional research will be needed to confirm and extend the findings in actual working environments. S...

Conflict and well‐being at work: the moderating role of personality

Abstract: Purpose – This study examines the moderating influence of the Big Five factors of agreeableness, extraversion, and emotional stability on the relationship between conflict and well‐being.Design/methodology/approach – Two field studies were conducted in which respondents were asked to fill out questionnaires during work hours; the first study involved a health care organization, the second one a manufacturing organization.Findings – In performing sets of hierarchical regressions it was shown that conflict was negatively associated with well‐being, especially when individuals were low in agreeableness, low in emotional stability or low in extraversion.Research limitations/implications – We proposed directional relations between conflict and individual well‐being, however we cannot rule out the alternative in which reduced well‐being leads to more conflict. Future research using a cross‐lagged design with longitudinal data is needed to establish causal relationships.Practical implications – The most straight...

Individual value structure and diversity attitudes: The moderating effects of age, gender, race, and religiosity

Abstract: Purpose – To investigate how an individual's value structure influences his/her attitudes toward others who are dissimilar and the moderating effects of age, gender, race, and religiosity on this relationship.Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 165 respondents completed the 56‐item Schwartz Value Survey (SVS), which measures the four value types of openness to change, self‐transcendence, conservation, and self‐enhancement, and the 15‐item Miville‐Guzman Universality‐Diversity Scale Short (M‐GUDS‐S), which measures diversity attitudes. The relationships between the variables were explored using hierarchical regression.Findings – Respondents who scored higher on the values of openness to change and self‐ transcendence had more positive diversity attitudes than those who scored lower. Respondents who scored higher on self‐enhancement had less positive diversity attitudes than those who scored lower. The prediction that those who score higher on conservation would have less positive diversity attitudes ...

The relationship between work commitment models and employee withdrawal intentions

Abstract: Purpose – This study is an attempt to contribute to an emerging stream of research, which attempts to explore how work commitment forms affect one another and how together they serve to influence work behaviour and outcomes.Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on five universal forms of work commitment, we tested the relationships between two work commitment models and two forms of employee withdrawal intentions: from their organisation and from their occupation. To this end, we investigated professional employees (social workers) employed in the Israeli healthcare system through a structured questionnaire.Findings – Path analysis results cast doubt on the applicability of both models in their original form, across scenarios. At the same time, with some modifications, both models show a good potential for explaining variance in employee withdrawal intentions from both their organisation and their occupation.Originality/value – This research contributes to work commitment literature by providing empirical...

An empirical exploration of psychological contract violation and individual behaviour

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of the research is to demonstrate the impact of psychological contract infringement (independent variable) on organizational commitment, exit, voice and neglect (dependent variables) within a Canadian federal public organization located in Quebec, where individual (e.g. age), organizational (e.g. stricter rule enforcement) and situational (e.g., employment alternatives) variables are controlled.Design/methodology/approach – A pre‐tested questionnaire (204 questions) on the psychological contract was distributed to 357 Canadian civil servants in a one site federal department. One hundred and thirty‐two questionnaires were returned and considered usable for research, for a 37 per cent response rate. Bivariate analysis was performed on the various determinants and individual responses to psychological contract violation, including organizational commitment, departure designs and counterproductive behaviors.Findings – Results clearly illustrate the great complexity of the link between or...

Idea generation through computer‐mediated communication: the effects of anonymity

Abstract: Purpose – Brainstorming is a well‐known group process for generating new ideas and stimulating creativity. Important as well as robust findings have been achieved in determining which factors contribute most to facilitating or hindering the group's ideas productivity. Research aimed at comparing face‐to‐face (FTF) with computer‐mediated communication (CMC) led to the conclusion that this latter shared with the nominal group technique the advantages of avoiding either the blocking effect or the identification of the source. More recently, attention has turned to the possible effects of group support system (GSS) in the mediating cognitive processes of generating new ideas. The present study aims to examine the effects of the type of tool and of the anonymity condition on the quality, quantity and diversity of the generated ideas, as well as on group members' satisfaction.Design/methodology/approach – Uses a 2 × 2 factorial design combining two different GSS tools (topic commenter vs EBS) with anonymity ver...

Essential competencies for cross‐cultural knowledge absorption

Abstract: Purpose – To describe the competencies necessary for managers to effectively engage in cross‐cultural knowledge absorption. Design/methodology/approach – A comprehensive literature review of knowledge management and cross‐cultural competency research which identifies seven thematic competencies for knowledge absorption. Findings – The study identifies and provides examples of seven cross‐cultural knowledge absorption abilities: valuing different cultures, building relationships, listening and observing, coping with ambiguity, managing others, translating complex ideas, and taking action. Research limitations/implications – The research relies on a single theory of learning and integrates research into a single set of assumptions. The research has not been tested empirically. Practical implications – The paper provides a model to guide managers and others in organizations through successful knowledge transfer and absorption efforts including training, development, selection and project planning. Originality/value – The paper integrates diverse and extensive literature on knowledge absorption into a single framework based on how managers learn from experience and suggests competencies for managing absorption efforts.

Entrepreneurs as cultural heroes

Abstract: Purpose – This exploratory, interdisciplinary, cross‐cultural study attempt to examine the hypothesis that in a country, where entrepreneurs have high status, individuals will describe themselves as more entrepreneurial, will exhibit greater risk‐taking tendency and more will be involved in entrepreneurial activity.Design/methodology/approach – The study included MBA students in Israel, the USA and Hungary who were asked to compare the social status of entrepreneurs with that of other professionals, rate themselves on traits that were identified as characterizing successful entrepreneurs, and rate the risk they were willing to take to join a start‐up.Findings – Results showed that Israelis perceived entrepreneurs as having higher social status than Americans and Hungarians. Israelis also demonstrated greater risk taking expressed in the readiness to leave a secure job to join a start‐up. Israelis and Americans rated themselves higher than Hungarians on initiative, love of challenge and independence, the t...

Forms of host‐country national learning for enhanced MNC absorptive capacity

Abstract: Purpose – Aims to examine within the theoretical construct of absorptive capacity several forms of host country national (HCN) learning, leading to improved productivity in the foreign operation, and ultimately yielding more effective knowledge generation and flow throughout the multinational corporation (MNC).Design/methodology/approach – Used open‐ended exploratory field interviews with 51 host country human resource and middle managers in 49 different MNC foreign subsidiaries with headquarters in six different countries. Learning needs in three major employee levels of operative, supervisory/middle management, and upper management were examined. Notes from the interviews were recorded by hand and combined and analyzed for evidence of potentially beneficial forms of HCN learning using procedures of domain and theme analysis in taxonomy development.Findings – A total of 12 categories of potentially beneficial forms of HCN learning were identified and discussed relative to their contributions to increased...

Towards a multidimensional competency‐based managerial performance framework: A hybrid approach

Abstract: Purpose – To report on the development of a new, more balanced approach to managing the performance of key employees in project‐based organizations.Design/methodology/approach – Following the establishment of the role‐based criteria for performance excellence through focus groups and subsequent factor analysis, performance profiles of a range of superior and average performing managers were compiled. These were based on behavioural event interviews (BEIs) from which job, person and role‐based aspects were derived. The final performance model was validated through assessments with an expert panel of HRM specialists.Findings – This research has developed and demonstrated the potential of a more holistic approach to managing performance which includes reference to the job requirements, personal behaviours and the role context. It was found to be particularly suitable to measuring managers' performance in dynamic team‐based environments.Research limitations/implications – The empirical work upon which the new...

The role of gender and social class in work stress

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a large community wide survey on occupational stress.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected via a questionnaire, using a random sample of the general population in the north east region of England, UK. A total of 2,500 people completed questionnaires, which represented all socio‐economic groups.Findings – The results of the bivariate analysis revealed significant differences in terms of physical and psychological wellbeing amongst the male and female sample. Multiple regression analysis provided evidence that the issue of job satisfaction is critical and different amongst both males and females and social class.Originality/value – This research investigated the combined effects of both gender differences at work and social class in one given study, using one instrument, in one community setting. Recommendations for future research at the theoretical and practical level are given.

Affective responses to work process and outcomes in virtual teams: Effects of communication media and time pressure

Abstract: Purpose – To analyze the direct and combined effects of the communication media and time pressure in group work on the affective responses of team members while performing intellective tasksDesign/methodology/approach – A laboratory experiment was carried out with 124 subjects working in 31 groups. The task performed by the groups was an intellective one. A 2 × 3 factorial design with three media (face‐to‐face, video‐conference, and e‐mail) and time pressure (with and without time pressure) was used to determine the direct and combined effects of these two variables on group members' satisfaction with the process and with the results, and on members' commitment with the decision.Findings – Results show a direct effect of communication media on satisfaction with the process, which confirms the prediction of the media‐task fit model, and a negative effect of time pressure on satisfaction with group results and commitment to those results. Most interestingly, the interaction effects for the three dependent v...

Knowledge transfer in Vietnam: starts, stops, and loops

Abstract: Purpose – To offer a framework of structural and contextual influences on knowledge transfer of foreign management ideas to Vietnamese academic and managerial colleagues. It addresses four factors: stage of relationship between Vietnamese and foreign counterparts; participative competence (i.e. knowledge, experience, and motivations of those sending and receiving knowledge); atmosphere within each side's organization; and conduit conditions, or factors that facilitate transmittal or translation of knowledge.Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on an ethnographic study from 1994‐2003 of the creation of Vietnam's first international standard business school, within the National Economics University (NEU), in Hanoi, which included participant observation, semi‐structured and informal interviews with over 60 Vietnamese faculty members, managers, university administrators, and foreign visiting professors and administrators, field notes, documentation, and archival records.Findings – The paper conclude...

Work team effectiveness in organizational contexts: Recent research and applications in Spain and Portugal

Abstract: Purpose – This introductory paper aims to provide a contextualization of recent research and applications on work team effectiveness in organizational contexts carried out in Spain and Portugal and to describe connections between this research and the main trends in the international sceneDesign/methodology/approach – Since the 1990s, new occupational and organizational realities have deepened scientific interest in work teams in both Spain and Portugal A range of recently published (1992‐2004) works in this area are reviewed The selected sources are papers published in Spanish, Portuguese and international journalsFindings – Reviewing this work, four major trends are identified that synthesize the key concerns of researches in both countries: work teams and new information/communication technologies; intra‐ and inter‐group conflicts in organizational contexts; definition, dimensions and measurement criteria for work team effectiveness; and teams in innovation and change processesOriginality/value –

Managers dealing with work‐family‐conflict: an explorative analysis

Abstract: Purpose – Most managers are heavily affected by the relationship between their professional and their private life. Work‐life‐balance is discussed rarely without discomfort, which suggests a massive tension and conflict caused by the contradiction of private and professional requirements. Managers use a range of individual strategies to deal with this conflict situation. An explorative empirical study on these strategies is presented.Design/methodology/approach – The sample is drawn largely according to the principles of theoretical sampling, different family‐work constellations provide the basis of selection. Our sample includes people from the upper and highest levels of organizational hierarchies. Most of them have children and working partners, hence they find themselves in specific phases of the family cycle. Thirty problem‐focussed interviews are content analyzed. In order to reveal pattern of dealing with work‐life‐conflict cluster and pronominal analyses are applied.Findings – Results show three d...

Mismatch in working hours and affective commitment: Differential relationships for distinct employee groups

Abstract: Purpose – This study examined the relationship between two types of mismatch (i.e. non-correspondence between preferred and actual number of hours), and affective commitment. It was argued that specific groups of employees, i.e. women and part-time working employees, attach more importance to their working hours and, therefore, are less likely to show affective commitment when they experience a mismatch. Design/methodology/approach – Using data from 222 employees of a Dutch Ministry, hypotheses were tested using regression analyses. Findings – It was shown that a mismatch of working more hours was differentially related to the affective commitment of employees who wanted to work more and who wanted to work fewer hours. Moreover, gender and full-time status were found to moderate the negative relationship between a mismatch and the affective commitment of employees who wants to work less. Research limitations/implications – The focus is on affective commitment; however, it is possible that other types of commitment are also associated with perceptions of psychological contract breach. Practical implications – Tailored HRM is needed: assisting employees with a mismatch wanting to work fewer hours can be achieved by allowing them more flexibility in their working schedules. Employees with a mismatch of wanting to work more hours can be assisted with additional support, e.g. shopping services. Originality/value – HRM practices can be tailored to different preferences: the value of this paper is the examination of different types of mismatch for different group of employees.

Multi‐source perspectives of self‐esteem, performance ratings, and source agreement

Abstract: Purpose – To examine the relationship between self‐esteem and job performance using others' perceptions of self‐esteem and to examine agreement in ratings of self‐esteem across sources.Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 143 sales representatives, 113 supervisors, 420 peers, 435 customers, and 510 family and friends completed Rosenberg's measure of self‐esteem and a measure of acquaintanceship. Peers and supervisors rated the subjects' job performance. Correlations and hierarchical regression were used to explore the relationships.Findings – Customer, peer, and supervisor perceptions of subjects' self‐esteem related significantly to peer and supervisor performance ratings, whereas self and family/friends perceptions did not. There was limited support for the acquaintanceship effect (greater agreement across sources when familiarity is greater), while context affected agreement (same context sources had greater agreement).Practical implications – The study highlights the importance of looking at an e...

The role of emotions in employees' explanations for failure in the workplace

Abstract: Purpose – The paper aims to study how shame, guilt and fear experienced by failing employees determine their explanation of the failure.Design/methodology/approach – Employees participated in two studies, one assessing actual personal examples of failures and another used imaginary vignettes. To manipulate the extent to which guilt or shame was the dominant emotion experienced by the failing employee, participants were asked to generate counterfactual thoughts typical of each of these feelings. Fear was manipulated by describing a threatening atmosphere in the organization. Measured was the likelihood that the employee took responsibility for what happened and provided a valid explanation. Likelihood of explaining the event by using excuses, justifications, concessions or denials was also measured.Findings – Findings indicate guilt was associated with explanations that help the organization learn from the failure and assist employees in restoring their relationships with the organization and co‐workers. H...

Organisational support and group efficacy: A longitudinal study of main and buffer effects

Abstract: Purpose – To analyse the influence of three different types of organisational support (supervisor's and colleagues' support, training, and acknowledgement and rewards) on the implementation of teamwork systems.Design/methodology/approach – Main and buffer effects of social support were tested using different subjective (job satisfaction and job involvement) and objective (production and total production management (TPM)) organisational criteria. In the longitudinal study, two sets of data were taken from a sample of workers from car‐manufacturing factories in two consecutive years.Findings – The three dimensions of support explain 30 per cent of the variance in job satisfaction in time 1(T1) and 11 per cent in time 2 (T2). A total of 50 per cent of job involvement in T1 is due to the supervisor's and colleagues' support, whereas in T2 this influence is not apparent. Social support from supervisor's and colleagues and acknowledgment and rewards explain 10 per cent of the variance of the objective measures ...

Leadership, mood, atmosphere, and cooperative support in project groups

Abstract: Purpose – To analyze the particular influence of leadership styles on voluntary collaboration between members of project groups.Design/methodology/approach – Uses a field‐study approach to gather data of 24 project groups in an academic learning context. Takes measures of different leadership styles, affective variables (mood, group atmosphere), and pro‐social work behavior.Findings – Supports theoretical assumptions about mediating influences of mood and group atmosphere. Shows that leaders of project groups may enhance cooperative support by considering the emotional impact of their behavior.Research limitations/implications – The field context (academic learning setting, students as project group members) may set limitations to the generalizability of obtained findings.Practical implications – Helps personnel managers to look at project group leadership from a different point of view.Originality/value – Provides evidence about an emotionality link between leadership and cooperation.