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When and how authoritarian leadership influences employee innovation behavior in the context of Chinese culture

ShanLiang Zhang (School of Economics and Management, Tongji University, Shanghai, China)
Xuefei Liu (Business School, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China)
Yana Du (Business School, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China)

Leadership & Organization Development Journal

ISSN: 0143-7739

Article publication date: 6 April 2021

Issue publication date: 23 June 2021

2263

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the mechanism and boundary conditions of authoritarian leadership that influence employee innovation behavior (EIB) in Chinese culture based on the leader–member exchange theory and state–trait theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used Mplus and SPSS to test the proposed model with data from 286 leader–employee dyads in Chinese companies. In this study, questionnaires were collected through commission and field investigation.

Findings

The results indicate that authoritarian leadership can positively influence perceived insider status and EIB within a certain range in Chinese organizational culture, although this is counterintuitive. In addition, perceived insider status has a high level of explanatory power on EIB and can mediate the relationship between authoritarian leadership and EIB. Furthermore, proactive personality can moderate the positive influence of authoritarian leadership on perceived insider status.

Originality/value

Innovation management is inseparable from the specific organizational cultural context. This paper argues that the relationship between authoritarian leadership and EIB in the context of organizational culture in China may differ from that in the west. This study constructs a unique research model and offers new insights into when and how EIB can be influenced by authoritarian leadership.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (71902176) awarded to Yana Du.

Citation

Zhang, S., Liu, X. and Du, Y. (2021), "When and how authoritarian leadership influences employee innovation behavior in the context of Chinese culture", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 42 No. 5, pp. 722-734. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-08-2020-0342

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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