THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL IN TIMES OF CRISIS: A SCOAP-BASED CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Abstract

Periods of crisis make the importance of leadership behaviors more visible by weakening employees’ psychological resources. Although crisis leadership, Psychological Capital (PsyCap), and resource dynamics have been extensively examined in the literature, the psychological need processes through which leadership behaviors influence employees’ psychological capital remain insufficiently explained. This study presents an integrated conceptual framework linking Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, the Psychological Capital approach, and the SCOAP model within a crisis context. It is proposed that leadership behaviors are interpreted by employees as psychological signals related to self-esteem, control, orientation, attachment, and meaning, and that this interpretive process may influence PsyCap components through perceptions of resource gain or resource loss. The study is based on a conceptual synthesis and theory integration approach. The literatures on crisis leadership, COR theory, PsyCap, SCOAP, and BANI were integrated to develop a comprehensive conceptual framework explaining the relationship between leadership behaviors and employees’ psychological capital. The primary theoretical contribution of the study is the proposition that leadership behaviors may function as psychological need signals and influence PsyCap through this process. The framework provides a conceptual foundation for future empirical research.