Previous research on leader support was mainly based on the theory of social exchange, whereas few empirical studies have been derived from another motivational frame work. This study based on self-determination theory (SDT: Deci & Ryan) investigated leaders’ autonomy-supportive behavior within the organizational context. Leader’s autonomy support means from employees’ perspectives, providing greater choice, and encouraging self-initiation. Results from a sample of 65 managers working in Chinese enterprises showed four specific leader behaviors, including trust and respect of employees, instructing of employees’ career planning, counseling and recognizing, as well as positive monitoring and feedback that may give rise to employees’ perceived autonomy support. Discussion focused on the importance of leader’s autonomy-supportive behavior and pointed out some prospects for the future research.

Leadership, Autonomy Support, Perceived Autonomy Support, Self-Determination Theory

Hocine, Z. , Zhang, J. , Song, Y. and Ye, L. (2014) Autonomy-Supportive Leadership Behavior Contents. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 2, 433-440. doi: 10.4236/jss.2014.26050.