looking at both sides of leader and follower political skill on work outcomes: the mediating role of job satisfaction

Abstract

Based on existing research addressing political skill and social networks, this study explores the congruence effects of the political skills of leaders and followers on workers’ job satisfaction, and the resulting effect on followers’ life satisfaction and affective commitment. Using cross-level polynomial regressions and 3 D response surface analysis on 305 leader and follower dyads, the results supported the congruence and effect hypothesis. Furthermore, this study has also discovered incongruence effects: when leaders’ political skills are higher than those of their followers, the degree of decline in job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and affective commitment is greater than the size of difference between the political skills of leaders and followers. This study also reveals the importance of leaders and followers possessing political skills, especially considering its important effect on work attitude and performance.