The impact of authentic leadership on individual and team creativity: a multilevel perspective

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to develop and test a multilevel conceptual model which explains how authentic leadership (AL), through an innovative team atmosphere and promotion of self-efficacy, influences creativity. The study delineates two pathways from AL to creativity. The first pathway is an indirect effect through an innovative atmosphere at the team level and self-efficacy at the individual level, while the second pathway focuses on the moderating effect of AL between self-efficacy and individual creativity.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 58 team leaders and 283 employees in a creative industry park in the Yangtze River Delta region from China. Path analysis was conducted to test the proposed hypotheses using the statistical package M-plus (v. 7).FindingsThe results reveal that AL is an important antecedent of creativity. Furthermore, an innovation-based atmosphere at the team level mediates the theorized relationship between AL and individual creativity. However, creative self-efficacy at the individual level does not mediate this relationship. Finally, the study found that AL moderates the relationship between creative self-efficacy and individual creativity.Originality/valueThe implications of this study highlight important considerations for enterprises in creative industry parks within and beyond China. This study provides industry leaders with a clearer and more insightful and coherent means of understanding the mediating mechanism between AL and creativity, and the moderating effects of AL between individual self-efficacy and creativity through a new linkage model.

A cross-level examination of team-directed empowering leadership and subordinates' innovative performance: an AMO theory perspective

“…The Cronbach's α of the scale was 0.885. Consistent with previous research scholars (Li et al , 2016), this paper conceptualized feedback seeking climate at team level. Mean r wg was 0.788, ICC (1) was 0.244 and ICC (2) was 0.696, which supported aggregation.…”

“…Feedback seeking climate . This variable was measured through a 4-item scale developed by Li et al (2016), which was based on feedback seeking scale developed by Ashford (1986). Sample items included “Our team encourages team members to ask supervisor what areas of their work can be improved”, “In our team, feedback of team members on each other's work performance is encouraged”.…”

“…De Stobbeleir et al (2011) found that feedback seeking behavior could motivate employees' initiative and innovative thinking. Li et al (2016) proved that feedback seeking climate positively influences team creativity. In addition, creative self-efficacy mediates the relationship between feedback seeking behavior and innovation (Wang and Peng, 2013).…”

“…Vandewalle et al (2000) found that feedback seeking could enable employees to identify their role expectations, evaluate appropriateness of their work behavior and improve their performance. Based on team climate and feedback environment, feedback seeking climate is defined as team members' common understanding of the efforts of the leaders and members in the team to seek information about work performance (Li et al , 2016). Feedback seeking climate refines team's norms and culture and has a significant effect on the transformation of psychological factors and behaviors (Meyer et al , 2010).…”

Role of Servitization, Digitalization, and Innovation Performance in Manufacturing Enterprises

“…Scholars have increasingly focused on the relationship between digital transformation and innovation management [31], arguing that digital technologies have had a significant impact on today's competitive business environment [32], most notably by altering the way firms and consumers interact and exchange value [33], as well as by changing the innovation capabilities and the nature of innovation activities [34]. Because the widespread adoption of digital technologies can significantly improve product and service performance in a variety of ways, digital transformation has the potential to influence various stages of the innovation process in complex and causally ambiguous ways [35,36].…”