The Influence of the Matching of Leader’s Authorization Behavior and Employee’s Authorization Expectation on Employee’s Active Behavior: Based on the Theory of Personal-Environmental Matching

Abstract

Purpose: Based on the theory of personal-environment matching, from the perspective of matching a leader’s authorization behavior with an employee’s authorization expectation, this paper explores the question of when the authorization utility is maximized. Design/Methodology/Approach: Polynomial regression and response surface analysis were used to analyze the two-stage matching data of 45 leaders and 303 subordinates. Findings: It is found that when the leader’s authorization behavior and the employee’s authorization expectation are in “high-high” agreement, the employee’s harmonious work passion and positive behavior are the highest, and harmonious work passion plays an intermediary role between the leader’s authorization behavior and employee’s authorization expectation and employee’s positive behavior. Practical Implications: The findings provide a helpful reference for management practitioners on how to authorize better, stimulate employees’ harmonious work passion, and promote employees’ positive behaviors. Originality/Value: First, from the dual perspective of leaders and subordinates, comprehensively and dialectically analyzes how to maximize the effectiveness of authorization. Second, from the standpoint of positive emotion cognition, the emotional driving mechanism of an employee’s positive behavior is demonstrated by matching the leader’s authorized behavior with the employee’s authorized expectations.