colloquium: Leadership impact: Reducing subordinate strain via leadership training

Evidence is generally consistent in identifying a positive relationship between supportive leadership/supervision and improved stress-strain outcomes for subordinate workers. The testing of such associations with multiple source data however, is surprisingly rare, despite numerous appeals to researchers. The presented research identifies that ineffective leadership/supervision was one of the key stressors identified by 3,883 police workers sampled from one Australian police service. These self-report survey results informed the development and trial of a police supportive leadership program where the leader’s style (n = 40) was matched with occupational health outcomes (strain, engagement, demands, well-being) for their specific direct reports (n = 400). Pre and post-program testing identified significant changes in the leader’s behaviour and corresponding improvements in outcomes for their workers. All participants identified a significant reduction in workload (job demands) and psychological strain which were associated with the leader’s improved skills at people management. These results are discussed in full. The research demonstrates that a focus on supervisor behaviour change significantly affects the job characteristics experienced by (police) workers. The research also demonstrates the advantages of adopting a multiple source research design for the reduction of occupational stress experiences.