Never Off Duty – The Role of Supervisors in the Relationship Between Extended Availability, Subordinate Strain, and Job Performance

Employers expect to increase the overall organizational flexibility and performance when employees are available to clients, supervisors, or colleagues outside of their regular work. However, when extended availability is not properly organized, it is associated with impaired well-being, which can lower performance. Research has identified design criteria that may increase or decrease the detrimental effects of availability. We assume that the role-modeling behavior of supervisors as important representatives of organizational values is crucial as well. This study investigated the moderating function of supervisory role modeling in the relationship between extended availability for work and well-being. We conducted a study with 258 participants who completed an online questionnaire about their availability demands and their supervisors’ role modelling to address this issue. Additionally, participants indicated their emotional exhaustion, work-family conflict as well as performance. Moderated mediation analyses revealed that high work-life-friendly role modeling attenuated the detrimental indirect effect of extended availability demands on performance via a work-family conflict. Identifying the boundary conditions for extended availability demands offers a more differentiated perspective on its beneficial and/or detrimental nature. The results highlight the necessity to consider supervisors as key figures for interventions for extended availability demands.