Leader creativity expectations and follower radical creativity

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to research the effect of leader creativity expectations on follower radical creativity. Highlighting the implications of leader creativity expectations, the authors examined employee creative process engagement as a mediator and follower perceived procedural justice as a moderator in the relationship between leader creativity expectations and employee radical creativity. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 256 dyads comprising full-time employees and their immediate supervisors were collected from the innovation teams of industry-university alliances through questionnaire in China, the authors hypothesized and found support for a moderated mediation model. Findings The findings show that leader creativity expectations are significantly and positively related to employee radical creativity; creative process engagement plays a fully mediating role between leader creativity expectations and employee radical creativity; procedural justice moderates the positive relationship between leader creativity expectations and creative process engagement and enhances the positive indirect effect of leader creativity expectations on follower radical creativity. Practical implications The creativity expectations of leaders are prerequisite for leadership to drive followers to be creative, which can pose great effect on extra-role behavior of followers such as radical creativity. Leaders can deliberately set role expectations for subordinates to achieve creative goals. Compared with the traditional management practices emphasizing planning, leaders encourage trial practice, provide enough time to ensure employees fully identify problems and provide resources to facilitate information search and coding, may achieve better results. Organizations should also place greater emphasis on the procedural justice, thereby enhancing the positive impact of other factors on employee radical creativity. Originality/value This study examined the relationship between leader creativity expectations and follower radical creativity based on the perspective of creative process engagement. The conclusion expanded the evidence of the impact of leader expectations besides this study strongly demonstrate that procedural justice will affect employees creative process engagement which enriches the literature on radical creativity strategic leadership and work engagement.

Do power distance and market information foster or impede performance of Chinese new ventures?

“…Studies have suggested that power distance has been considered as one of the key factors that facilitate innovation and management in countries with collectivism and high-power distance like China (Xu and Wang, 2019). Farh et al (2007) theorize that power distance plays a negative moderating role in the positive relationship between organizational support and job performance.…”

“…Xu and Wang (2019) recently suggested that due to high power distance and a cultural background emphasizing collectivism in China, employees normally spend a lot of efforts in understanding what their leaders expect and take corresponding actions to fulfill the expectations. However, very few studies directly address the relationship between power distance and Chinese new venture performance.…”

“…Third, given the Chinese cultural background emphasizing high power distance (Xu and Wang, 2019) and the importance of market growth in China, it is surprising that limited studies have examined how market growth moderates the relationships between power distance and new venture performance.…”

Benevolent paternalistic leadership behavior and follower's radical creativity

“…158 orientation can affect a person's creative power fostering. In prior, it has been shown that leader-member exchange, creative role identity, leader creativity expectation, leader-followers creativity expectation, and creative process engagement can influence the creativity of employees (Lin, Ma, Zhang, Li, & Jiang, 2018;An-chih Wang & Cheng, 2009) (Qu, Janssen, & Shi, 2017;Xu & Wang, 2019).but the scholars and researchers rarely emphasized on the interactive effects of benevolent leadership and voice behavior considering the power distance differentiation. There is seldom looked up the benevolent leadership and radical creativity.…”

“…In the meantime, we managed and controlled gender, age, education, role, and organizational tenure of employees while testing hypotheses, given their possible effect on voice(Y. Li & Sun, 2015a) and creativity (Xu & Wang, 2019). In the light of previous research (Dedahanov, Lee, Rhee, & Yoon, 2016b), when controlling for age, occupation, positions, and tenure in the organization, which has a significant impact on creativity.…”