The Effect Of Gender And Region Similarity Between Employees And Supervisors On Family Supportive Supervisor Behaviors:a Moderated Mediating Model

Some studies have shown that demographic similarity had a stable effect on family supportive supervisor behaviors. However, the internal mechanism of the relationship has not been clear yet. Studies have pointed out, the mediating variable of the relationship between demographic similarity and family supportive supervisor behaviors and the effect of different environments on the relationship remained to be further discussed. Based on these findings, we made some changes and hoped to have some new findings. Adding the variable of leader member exchange, we try to clear the internal mechanism of the relationship between demographic similarity and family supportive supervisor behaviors. Shifting the evaluation source of moderating variable, we try to explore the boundary conditions of the influence mechanism. Bringing in the region similarity with Chinese characteristics, we try to preliminarily explore the mechanism of region similarity. In summary, we constructed a moderated mediation model and try to enrich the results of this field.165 supervisors who manage an average of 1-5 employees of a large chain supermarket were surveyed with self-report questionnaires (526 employees were evaluated effectively). Results showed that common method biases was not serious in the study. Leader member exchange had a complete mediation effect on the relationship between gender, region similarity and family supportive supervisor behaviors. The mediating effect of leader member exchange was moderated by family-supportive organization perceptions of supervisors.Specifically, gender, region similarity could promote supervisors’ family supportive supervisor behaviors through increasing their leader member exchange relationship. To the supervisors with lower family-supportive organization perceptions, gender similarity and region similarity between supervisors and employees could positively influence supervisors’family supportive supervisor behaviors more intense through the mediation of leader member exchange. To the supervisors with higher family-supportive organization perceptions, gender similarity and region similarity between supervisors and employees could positively influence supervisors’ family supportive supervisor behaviors weaker through the mediation of leader member exchange.Building upon the self-categorization theory and leader member exchange theory, we explored the effect mechanism of gender similarity and region similarity on family supportive supervisor behaviors. The essence of self-categorization theory is social identity. Through social identity, the relationship between supervisors and employees was improved, then the informal support behaviors of supervisors came into being because of relational exchange. We found that the connotation of the effect mechanism was "identify first and exchange subsequently". We also found family-supportive organization perceptions moderated the mediation effect, which uncovered the boundary conditions of the influence mechanism. The study suggested that organizations and supervisors should be aware that informal support behavior would be influenced by demographic similarity and supervisors should remind themselves not to treat their employees unfairly in daily work. Meanwhile, organizations could create the family supportive environment to ease the unfair phenomenon brought by demographic similarity effect. Finally, study limitations and future research were discussed and we put forward the direction of future research from the perspective of samples and measurement.