Enabling or overloading? The double-edged role of E-leadership in civil servant's change-oriented organizational citizenship behaviors

Extant research shows the adaptability of E‑leadership to the demands of the digital era. However, its potential effects have not received ample empirical attention in the public sector. Drawing on Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, this study examines the double-edged role of E‑leadership on civil servants' change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Through a two-wave survey of 279 Chinese civil servants, structural equation modeling findings indicate that: (a) from a job-resource perspective, E‑leadership positively correlates with change-oriented OCB via digital job crafting; (b) from a job-demand perspective, E‑leadership negatively relates to change-oriented OCB via information technology overload; (c) performance appraisal purpose serves as a boundary condition influencing this double-edge sword. The results enrich e‑leadership research in the public sector by revealing a dual mediating mechanism through digital job crafting and IT overload and offer managerial guidance on using developmental appraisal to augment civil servants' change-oriented OCB during digital transformation efforts in the public sector. • E -leadership plays dual-edged role (enabling or overloading) in employees' change-oriented OCB. • Developmental appraisal strengthens the positive path via digital job crafting. • Evaluative appraisal amplifies the negative path via IT overload. • Advances micro-level understanding of digital leadership in public service. • Informs policy on designing supportive digital environments for civil servants.