ScholarOne - A Tale of The Likable Change: The Role of Change in Leadership Behaviors on Employees’ Willingness to Take Risks

The occurrence of a crisis increases perceived risk, hence, reducing employees’ willingness to take risks. Willingness to take risks promotes positive organizational outcomes ranging from employees’ creativity to organization profitability, hence, leaders need to increase employees’ willingness to take risks in a post-crisis period. Built upon the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, this study aims to examine leadership behavioral changes that can promote willingness to take risks of the employees. Drawing upon the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, this study found that leaders’ behavioral change can promote willingness to take risks only when the change can produce liking to leaders regardless of the task complexity level. The finding shows that Indonesian employees like change toward more directive behaviors after the crisis that subsequently increases their willingness to take risks. More importantly, this indirect relationship remains regardless of the level of task complexity.