Although previous research has mostly examined positive and negative leadership separately, or less often within the same leader, little is known about how these leadership styles interact within dual leadership structures when subordinates have two leaders and how their (in-)consistency affects employees. This cross-sectional study with N = 2,602 employees from the German Federal Armed Forces examines profiles and interactions of abusive and transformational leadership from two leaders (i.e., an upper and a lower leader) and explores their relationship with employee strain and commitment. Five distinct dual-leadership patterns were identified: (1) a consistent positive profile, (2) a moderate positive profile, (3) a consistent negative profile, and (4) two inconsistent profiles. Employees in the consistently positive profile reported the lowest strain and highest commitment levels, while there were only rare differences in strain and commitment between the other profiles. Moreover, neither high levels of transformational leadership nor low levels of abusive leadership from a lower-level leader were sufficient to counteract the negative impact of an upper-level leader on employees. Instead, negative leadership from one leader undermines the effects of positive leadership of another leader. Although the cross-sectional design limits causal inferences, the reliance on self-reported data may introduce common method bias, and the specific organizational context may restrict generalizability, the findings highlight the importance of aligned leadership behavior when someone reports to two leaders simultaneously to foster employee strain and commitment. Importantly, dual leadership can only have positive effects on employees if both leaders pull in the same positive direction, as one leader cannot compensate for the negative behavior of the other. By integrating transformational leadership and abusive supervision within a dual leadership framework, this study advances leadership research by examining patterns of consistent and inconsistent leadership across two leaders.

: While the effectiveness of health-oriented leadership (HoL) - consisting of SelfCare (caring for one's health) and StaffCare (leaders supporting employees' health) - is well established, less is known about antecedents and contextual conditions. In particular, it remains unclear how leaders in "sandwich positions" - those reporting to a supervisor while leading their own team - are influenced by their supervisor's HoL. Drawing on the job demands-resources model and social information processing theory, this study examines how the perceived HoL of higher-level leaders affects lower-level leaders' HoL. We also consider perceived stigmatizing attitudes toward workplace health promotion as a boundary condition. Two-wave survey data from lower-level leaders show that higher-level leaders' SelfCare indirectly influences lower-level leaders' StaffCare via higher-level leaders' StaffCare and lower-level leaders' SelfCare. Stigmatizing attitudes had a moderating influence on some transmission effects. These findings extend the HoL model, reveal mechanisms beyond simple trickle-down assumptions, and underscore the importance of contextual factors. Zusammenfassung: Die Wirksamkeit von gesundheitsorientierter F & uuml;hrung (HoL) - bestehend aus SelfCare (Selbstf & uuml;rsorge) und StaffCare (F & uuml;rsorge von F & uuml;hrungskr & auml;ften gegen & uuml;ber Mitarbeitenden) - ist gut belegt. Weniger bekannt sind jedoch Einflussfaktoren und kontextuelle Bedingungen. Insbesondere ist unklar, wie F & uuml;hrungskr & auml;fte in ,,Sandwich-Positionen" - also Personen, die selbst f & uuml;hren und gleichzeitig gef & uuml;hrt werden - durch die Gesundheitsorientierung ihres direkten Vorgesetzten beeinflusst werden. Aufbauend auf dem Job-Demands-Resources-Modell und der Theorie sozialer Informationsverarbeitung untersucht diese Studie, wie wahrgenommene SelfCare und StaffCare der n & auml;chsth & ouml;heren F & uuml;hrungsebene die gesundheitsorientierte F & uuml;hrung nachgeordneter F & uuml;hrungskr & auml;fte beeinflussen. Zudem werden wahrgenommene stigmatisierende Einstellungen gegen & uuml;ber betrieblicher Gesundheitsf & ouml;rderung als moderierende Bedingung ber & uuml;cksichtigt. Analysen auf Basis von Zwei-Wellen-Befragungsdaten aus Perspektive der nachgeordneten F & uuml;hrungsebene zeigen, dass die SelfCare der oberen F & uuml;hrungsebene die StaffCare der mittleren Ebene indirekt & uuml;ber deren eigene SelfCare sowie die StaffCare der oberen Ebene beeinflusst. Stigmatisierende Einstellungen moderieren Teile der & Uuml;bertragungseffekte. Die Ergebnisse erweitern das HoL-Modell, identifizieren Mechanismen jenseits einfacher ,,Trickle-down"-Annahmen und betonen die Relevanz kontextueller Faktoren f & uuml;r gesundheitsbezogenes F & uuml;hrungsverhalten.

Based on Social Learning Theory, the Health-oriented Leadership Model posits leaders as SelfCare role models. While this modeling influence is established for general SelfCare, its applicability to sensitive behaviors-such as disclosing mental health problems-remains unclear. Additionally, the role of interactional and contextual factors is insufficiently understood. The present paper investigates whether leaders' role modeling extends to disclosure and whether communication aspects and Working from Home (WfH) intensity moderate these effects. Two cross-sectional studies were conducted among employees working partly from home. Employees rated their own and leaders' SelfCare; Study 2 (pharmaceutical company; N = 198) additionally assessed disclosure. Both studies included communication frequency and WfH intensity; Study 1 (public service; N = 227) measured informal communication, and Study 2 assessed communication barriers. Results confirmed that leaders' SelfCare and disclosure were related to employees' corresponding behaviors. Communication frequency and WfH intensity showed no moderating effects. Informal communication was associated with a stronger leader SelfCare role model effect, whereas communication barriers were associated with weaker role model effects. Findings suggest an association between leaders' and employees' health behavior, consistent with role modeling processes. Based on these preliminary findings, organizations may raise leaders' awareness of their impact, while leaders should hold informal check-ins and promote barrier-free communication. Future longitudinal and experimental research should validate these findings.

Hybrid work not only redistributes where employees work; it also reshapes how they stay connected to their colleagues. Drawing on Communicate-Bond-Belong (CBB) theory, we examine how daily work location shapes employees' team commitment in hybrid work environments through informal communication and knowledge sharing, and how these daily links depend on task interdependence. Using a daily diary study with 219 employees who work at least one day a week from home and one day a week in the office (1655 day-level observations), we applied multilevel structural equation modeling in Mplus 8.8 to capture within-person day-to-day fluctuations. Our findings show that on days when employees worked from home rather than in the office, they reported less informal communication and less knowledge sharing with colleagues, which in turn related to lower team commitment. These indirect effects suggest that it is not physical distance per se, but the loss of cue-rich, relationship-building and task-related exchanges that erodes commitment on remote days. We further show that task interdependence differentially qualifies these daily relationships: for informal communication, the positive association with commitment is stronger when task interdependence is low and weaker when interdependence is high. In contrast, the positive association between knowledge sharing and commitment becomes stronger at higher levels of task interdependence. Together, the results advance understanding of social dynamics in hybrid work environments and offer actionable guidance for leaders and organizations.

The Special Issue on Health, Well-Being and Sustainability invites research that integrates behavioral, cultural, and systemic approaches to fostering sustainable lifestyles within work environments. This study focuses on the role of leadership in promoting employee health and healthy lifestyles, which are central dimensions of the validated Health-oriented Leadership framework. Although previous research has assumed that high levels of leader StaffCare lead to high levels of employee SelfCare and consequently to better health outcomes, inconsistent dyadic patterns have rarely been examined. In this study, we investigate dyadic relationship patterns between leaders’ StaffCare and employees’ SelfCare jointly creating a sustainable workplace health system in hybrid contexts. Using Latent Profile Analysis on a sample of N = 1104, we identify consistent and inconsistent patterns, their health and motivational outcomes after three months, as well as potential antecedents in terms of working conditions for profile membership. The consistent dyads showed expected results: high StaffCare and high SelfCare led to high health and motivation outcomes, while low StaffCare and low SelfCare resulted in the lowest outcomes. New findings emerged in inconsistent dyads. In the low leaders’ StaffCare and high employees’ SelfCare dyad (Bystanders & Health Proactives), leaders recognized risks but did not actively promote health measures. However, proactive employees who engage in SelfCare behaviorally compensate for insufficient leader support but at a motivational cost. In contrast, the high leaders’ StaffCare and low employees’ SelfCare dyad (Health Sacrificers) included leaders who supported employees’ health but neglected their own, resulting in lower health but higher motivation among employees. Job demands and resources partly predicted group membership and can offer practical implications for building work environments that foster employees’ well-being and health. The findings offer insights into inconsistent leadership behaviors and provide guidance for enhancing employee well-being, particularly in hybrid work environments.

: The health-oriented leadership (HoL) intervention is an innovative leadership and team development measure to promote workplace health. This article outlines the steps of the HoL intervention, the necessary organizational conditions, and the benefits for leaders and teams. The HoL intervention is based on the HoL concept, which distinguishes between health-oriented leadership (staff-care) and health-oriented self-leadership (self-care) and emphasizes four pathways through which leadership affects employee health. The HoL intervention is a structured procedure consisting of the eight steps: 1) coordination meeting with top management, 2) general information event for leaders of an organization, 3) preliminary conversation with interested leader, 4) kick-off workshop with the team and leader, 5) diagnosis of health-oriented leadership using the HoL instrument, 6) intensive coaching session with the leader, 7) workshop with the team and leader, and 8) follow-up with the leader. Previous implementations in various sectors revealed positive evaluation results. Zusammenfassung: Der Health-Oriented Leadership (HoL)-Prozess ist eine innovative F & uuml;hrungs- und Teamentwicklungma ss nahme zur F & ouml;rderung der Gesundheit am Arbeitsplatz. Dieser Artikel beschreibt die Schritte des HoL-Prozesses, die notwendigen Voraussetzungen sowie die Vorteile f & uuml;r F & uuml;hrungskr & auml;fte und Teams. Der HoL-Prozess basiert auf dem HoL-Konzept, welches zwischen gesundheitsf & ouml;rderlicher F & uuml;hrung (staff-care) und gesundheitsf & ouml;rderlicher Selbstf & uuml;hrung (self-care) unterscheidet und vier Wirkmechanismen postuliert, durch die F & uuml;hrung die Gesundheit von Mitarbeitenden beeinflusst. Der HoL-Prozess folgt einem strukturierten Ablauf in acht Schritten: 1) Abstimmungsgespr & auml;ch mit der Gesch & auml;ftsf & uuml;hrung, 2) Informationsveranstaltung f & uuml;r F & uuml;hrungskr & auml;fte, 3) Vorgespr & auml;ch mit interessierten F & uuml;hrungskr & auml;ften, 4) Kick-off-Workshop mit Team und F & uuml;hrungskraft, 5) Diagnose mit dem HoL-Instrument, 6) intensives Coaching f & uuml;r die F & uuml;hrungskraft, 7) Auswertungsworkshop mit Team und F & uuml;hrungskraft, 8) Follow-up mit der F & uuml;hrungskraft. Der HoL-Prozess wurde bereits in verschiedenen Branchen implementiert und zeigte positive Evaluationsergebnisse.

The Health-oriented Leadership (HoL) model proposes that leaders serve as health-related role models for employees. However, little is known about which employees follow their leader's SelfCare example or the effects of deviating from it. This study aims to identify different SelfCare role model constellations between employees (SCe) and leaders (SCl) through a person-centered approach, examining how these profiles relate to demands and resources and affect employee health and job satisfaction. N = 561 public sector employees were surveyed online at two time points. The questionnaire assessed SelfCare behaviors, health complaints, strain, job satisfaction, demands, and resources. Latent profile analysis identified five health-related role model profiles: two convergent, two divergent, and one average. Different levels of vulnerability to stress and StaffCare were linked to divergent profiles. In addition, lower levels of lack of time and a less pronounced self-schema of being strong and independent were related to the "divergent-resistant" profile. Profiles differed in health and job satisfaction, with the "convergent-beneficial" (high SCl & SCe) being the most favorable, followed by the "divergent-resistant" (SCl low, SCe high). The "convergent-detrimental" (low SCl & SCe) and "divergent-non-responding" (SCl high, SCe low) profiles showed no significant differences. This study offers a differentiated perspective on leaders' health-related role model effect, contributing to HoL research. Findings highlight the need for organizations to reduce employee demands and enhance resources, such as StaffCare, to enable employees to benefit from positive examples and resist negative ones.

Unsere heutige Arbeitswelt mit stetigen und schnellen Veränderungen und einer gewissen Unplanbarkeit bringt es mit sich, dass auch in den Führungsetagen personelle Flexibilität gefordert ist – sei es durch spontane Vakanzen, temporäre Projekte oder Change-Prozesse. In derartigen Fällen sind Unternehmen auf kurzfristige, zeitlich begrenzte Unterstützung angewiesen. Interim Managerinnen und Manager sind erfahrene Führungskräfte, welche auf selbstständiger oder freiberuflicher Basis – häufig vermittelt über Agenturen – genau dann zum Einsatz kommen und personelle Lücken in Führungsetagen schließen.

Background/Objectives: Given the high prevalence of mental health problems in the workplace, fostering disclosure and reducing sickness absence are critical for ensuring timely support and sustaining employees' work ability. Drawing on the health-oriented riented leadership (HoL) model, this paper examines the associations between staff care, disclosure, and sickness absence, and addresses the underexplored question of whether staff care continues to show beneficial relationships when employees experience acute health deterioration. To account for differing perspectives, we included samples with employees and with leaders. Methods: We conducted three distinct cross-sectional studies with (1) predominantly healthy employees (N1 = 148), (2) employees with severe mental health issues or a diagnosis (N2 = 338), and (3) leaders (N3 = 91). Results: Staff care is positively related to disclosure across all studies. In study 1, this relationship was unexpectedly stronger for low than for high health deterioration, though still significant for high deterioration. In studies 2 and 3, the interaction was non-significant. However, a perceptual gap emerged: simple slopes showed that leaders with low staff care still expected disclosure from employees with high health deterioration (study 3), whereas employees reported higher concealment intentions (study 1). Staff care was negatively related to sickness absence only in study 2, with this relationship strengthened under high health deterioration. Conclusions: Staff care seems particularly relevant for supporting disclosure during early health declines and for mitigating sickness absence during acute deterioration among those already affected. Divergent leader-employee perceptions may hinder timely support. We provide practical recommendations for organizations.

Based on social information processing theory, this study investigates the role of informal leader-follower communication for transformational leadership (TFL) and job satisfaction across different work settings. Using both a daily diary study and an experimental vignette study, we found that informal interactions are significantly associated with perceptions of TFL and partially moderate the relationship between TFL and job satisfaction. However, such informal exchanges decline on remote workdays, potentially undermining leadership effectiveness in hybrid and fully remote contexts. Based on these insights, we recommend that leaders proactively foster both trivial and meaningful informal communication with their followers on remote workdays, and that organizations establish norms and occasions that support casual, nonwork-related exchanges among employees.

In diesem Artikel der Zeitschrift Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. wird die Führungskräfte-Onlineplattform Digital Leadership Assistance Platform (DigiLAP) vorgestellt. Dabei wird auf die wissenschaftliche Entwicklung eingegangen, der Aufbau und die wesentlichen Funktionen sowie erste Ergebnisse der wissenschaftlichen Evaluation vorgestellt. Darüber hinaus werden Nutzungsmöglichkeiten für die Personalentwicklung und Führungskräfte dargestellt und abschließend auf Weiterentwicklungspotenzial für die Zukunft eingegangen.

This article in the journal Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. investigates whether the quantity and quality of communication between employees and their leaders are related to their leaders’ StaffCare. StaffCare, a key component of the Health-oriented Leadership concept, reflects leaders’ commitment to promoting health and their awareness of employees’ needs. Previous studies have mainly focused on several job demands and resources that may influence leaders’ StaffCare, while the role of communication between leaders and followers has received less attention. This study examines communication factors on a dyadic level. Study 1 was designed as a two-wave study with two measurement points two months apart. The online survey was conducted across various industries and companies in Germany. Hierarchical regression analyses of N = 320 employees show that frequency, communication barriers, and general informal communication are significant predictors of StaffCare. Study 2 was designed as a cross-sectional online survey conducted within an international pharmaceutical company in Germany. It examines informal communication, particularly SmallTalk and DeepTalk, as well as factors such as relationship tenure and stigma toward mental health, defined as negative attitudes and reactions towards psychological strain or illness. For this analysis, only non-leadership employees were considered (N = 199). Results confirm that both SmallTalk and DeepTalk have a significant influence on leaders’ StaffCare. Relationship tenure moderates the relationship, with long-term employees benefiting more from high-quality interactions. Perceived stigma toward mental health is negatively associated with StaffCare; however, the expected interaction effect with DeepTalk was not significant. This study extends the field of Health-oriented Leadership by identifying new antecedents of StaffCare. The findings underscore the importance of reducing workplace stigma toward mental health to create a health-supportive environment and suggest that leaders encourage both casual and in-depth conversations with employees. Additionally, leadership communication strategies should consider employees’ relationship tenure, as long-term employees gain more from these high-quality interactions.

This paper focuses on office worker's application of character strengths in hybrid working contexts using two diary studies to identify: (1) strength application is effective for positive outcomes in fully remote contexts, and (2) whether the application of strengths differs remote vs. office days. First, we investigated the relationship between strength application and self-efficacy, performance, and strain with a fully remote sample of 63 participants. In a second study with a hybrid sample consisting of 92 participants, we replicated the effects of strength application on the outcomes and added daily work location as a moderator. We found that strength application at work was positively related to self-efficacy and performance in both studies, and also negatively related to job strain in the second study. The relationship between daily strength application and self-efficacy, as well as performance, was moderated by work location, indicating that employees benefit more from strength application in term of their self-efficacy when they worked at the office. We discuss the implications for workers and employers, potential benefits, and challenges of remote work practices.

Since the rise of working from home, communication between leaders and their followers has become more digital. When communicating through digital media, there is a risk that information and nonverbal signals may not be transmitted adequately. This can be particularly challenging for health‐oriented leaders in terms of their StaffCare, which encompasses both the awareness of followers' health needs and concrete behaviors to promote their well‐being. When aiming to recognize followers' early warning signals related to mental health issues and take appropriate action, leaders may be hindered by the limitations of digital communication. We conducted an experimental study ( n = 47) to investigate whether leaders are better able to recognize and respond to their followers' warning signals during face‐to‐face (f2f) contact compared to video or telephone communication. Our findings confirm that leaders' StaffCare is more successful in f2f than in video and telephone settings. To further examine the decrease in StaffCare during digital communication, a second field study ( n = 275) was conducted. The results showed that leaders' awareness and behavior were lower when working from home without f2f communication than when working on‐site. Together, our two studies demonstrate the new challenges and conditions of health‐oriented leadership in digital communication and outline practical recommendations for human resource practitioners on how leaders' StaffCare can be fostered.