With the profound integration of online and offline work in the digital era, the work–family boundary has become increasingly blurred. As an emerging leadership style suited to boundary-blurring contexts, the effect of family-supportive supervisor behavior (FSSB) on leaders’ own work–family relationship (WFR) remains underexplored. This study aims to uncover the mechanism through which FSSB influences leaders’ own WFR.
Based on the work–family resource model (WFRM), this research develops a theoretical framework from a leader’s self-impact perspective. A three-stage time-lagged survey of 312 hospitality leader–employee dyads was conducted to test the hypotheses.
FSSB induces leaders’ own work–family conflict (WFC) by increasing perceived role overload (PRO) (resource depletion path). Simultaneously, FSSB induces leaders’ own work–family enrichment by increasing perceived meaningful work (resource acquisition path). Moreover, leaders’ work–family segmentation preference (WFSP) attenuates the resource depletion path by weakening the relationship between PRO and WFC.
Hospitality organizations should establish support and compensation mechanisms to mitigate the resource depletion effect that FSSB exerts on leaders themselves, while also encouraging leaders to internalize the people-centered philosophy underlying FSSB. Additionally, personalized boundary management strategies are critical to help leaders achieve a sustainable balance between fulfilling management responsibilities and safeguarding family well-being.
This research shifts the focus from employees to leaders, uncovering how FSSB influences leaders’ own WFRs. By proposing a dual-path mechanism grounded in the WFRM, it clarifies the double-edged effect of FSSB and reveals the asymmetric moderating effect of WFSP.
