The Association of Subordinate Perceptions of Supervisor Recovery with Subordinate Recovery Outcomes

Recent literature surrounding the process of recovery from work and work-related demands has included the supervisor as a key variable influencing how and if employees recover from work. Recovery represents the return of personal resources to their pre-work levels and is typically conceptualized as taking place during non-work time (e.g., at night after work, weekends, holidays). It is theorized to take place through four main recovery experiences: psychological detachment from work, relaxation, mastery experiences, and control over leisure time. This study extends the literature surrounding recovery experiences to include subordinate perceptions of supervisor recovery as a potential predictor of subordinate recovery and well-being. Participants (N=252) completed three time-lagged surveys and reported their perceptions of their supervisor’s recovery (Time 1), their own recovery (Time 2), and their feelings of vigor and fatigue (Time 3). Perceived supervisor recovery was empirically distinguishable from supervisor support for recovery and provided incremental validity in predicting subordinate recovery beyond this support perception. These results bolster the conclusion that supervisor recovery can spillover to directly influence subordinate recovery.