How shared leadership affects team performance: examining sequential mediation model using MASEM

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to reveal a sequential mediating process of the impact of shared leadership on team performance by studying the sequential mediating effect of team trust and team learning behavior.Design/methodology/approachThis study develops and examines a sequential mediation model using the meta-analytic structural equation modeling (MASEM) method. The sample adopted consists of 347 independent effect sizes extracted from 280 empirical papers (288 independent studies, N = 21,888 groups).FindingsThe results indicate that team trust and team learning behavior play a sequential mediating effect in the shared leadership–team performance relationship.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that practitioners should share leadership functions and responsibilities among talented team members. Furthermore, practitioners should strengthen the emotional interaction among team members and give positive feedback to the team's intensive learning behaviors.Originality/valueBy identifying the sequential mediating effect of team trust and team learning behavior, this study not only advances the understandings of a comprehensive mediating process through which shared leadership enhances team performance, but also offers new insights into the interrelationship of different types of mediating mechanisms (i.e. team emergent state and team process) in the shared leadership–team performance relationship.

Does shared leadership always work? A state-of-the-art review and future prospects

“…Although the positive relationship between shared leadership and team performance has been confirmed in numerous empirical studies and meta-analytic reviews (e.g. Chen et al. , 2022; Hoch and Kozlowski, 2014; Klasmeier and Rowold, 2020), research evidences suggest that shared leadership may also be harmful to team performance in certain situations.…”

“…Ali et al, 2020;Gu et al, 2022) and improving team or organizational performance (e.g. Chen et al, 2022;D'Innocenzo et al, 2021). In addition, some recent meta-analyses have identified the unique effect of shared leadership in explaining the variance in team performance when compared with the traditional vertical leadership (e.g.…”

“…, 2022) and improving team or organizational performance (e.g. Chen et al. , 2022; D'Innocenzo et al.…”

An approach-inhibition model of shared leadership: the effect of vertical leader’s multi-source power

“…Organizations increasingly rely on work teams to perform more complex, non-routine and uncertain tasks to maintain a competitive advantage (Chen et al, 2022;Sinha et al, 2021). With knowledge workers in such teams desiring for more autonomous and meaningful work, scholars have suggested that traditional vertical leadership which is referred to as formal hierarchical leadership projecting downward influences on followers might not be the most effective under these circumstances (Bligh et al, 2006;Klasmeier and Rowold, 2022;Pearce, 2004).…”

“…With knowledge workers in such teams desiring for more autonomous and meaningful work, scholars have suggested that traditional vertical leadership which is referred to as formal hierarchical leadership projecting downward influences on followers might not be the most effective under these circumstances (Bligh et al, 2006;Klasmeier and Rowold, 2022;Pearce, 2004). And shared leadership, which is defined as the dynamic, lateral and interactive influence process among team members as they take on leadership responsibilities together to lead one another to achieve team goals (Pearce and Conger, 2003), is essential for team performance (Chen et al, 2022;Song et al, 2020).…”