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Article
Publication date: 10 December 2021

Shaohan Cai, Xiaoyan Wang, Yongchao Ma, Xinyue Zhou and Zhilin Yang

This study aims to explore the overall relationship between a boundary spanner and a partner firm, i.e. boundary spanner closeness to partner firm. Drawing on consumer-service…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore the overall relationship between a boundary spanner and a partner firm, i.e. boundary spanner closeness to partner firm. Drawing on consumer-service provider relationship literature and the tripartite model of affect-behavior-cognition, the authors identify three key dimensions of such closeness, namely, boundary spanners’ relational ties, customer-specific capabilities and accommodative behaviors, and examine their effects on exchange outcomes in turbulent versus stable environments.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines the effects of three dimensions of boundary spanner closeness on various exchange outcomes (i.e. retailers’ cooperation, satisfaction and willingness for investment) using two industries as exemplars, characterized by distinct levels of environmental turbulence – the retailing networks of a major cell phone company and a petroleum company in China.

Findings

The results indicate that the three dimensions individually and jointly affect exchange outcomes and the interplay of customer-specific capabilities and relational ties affect exchange outcomes differently across industry turbulence.

Originality/value

The existing literature lacks a comprehensive understanding of the function of boundary spanners, which serve as a key relational interorganizational governance component. By identifying three key dimensions of boundary spanner closeness and examining their effectiveness in promoting exchange outcomes, this study advances the understanding of the role of boundary spanners in interorganizational governance.

Article
Publication date: 28 December 2020

Zhining Wang, Chuanwei Sun and Shaohan Cai

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between exploitative leadership and employee innovative behavior and explore the mediating role of relational…

1731

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between exploitative leadership and employee innovative behavior and explore the mediating role of relational attachment and the moderating role of high-performance work systems (HPWSs).

Design/methodology/approach

This research collected data from 374 employees and their direct supervisors in 75 teams and tested a cross-level moderated mediation model using multilevel path analysis.

Findings

The results suggest that (1) exploitative leadership has a negative impact on employee innovative behavior; (2) relational attachment mediates the relationship between exploitative leadership and employee innovative behavior; (3) HPWS positively moderates the relationship between exploitative leadership and relational attachment and (4) HPWS moderates the mediating mechanism from exploitative leadership to employee innovative behavior.

Practical implications

The empirical findings suggest that organizations should make efforts to prevent exploitative leadership. Moreover, managers should pay attention to the important role of relational attachment in promoting employee innovative behavior and realize the role of HPWSs in facilitating the negative effects of exploitative leadership.

Originality/value

This research identifies relational attachment as a key mediator that links exploitative leadership to innovative behavior and reveals the role of HPWSs in strengthening the negative effects of exploitative leadership on employee innovative behavior.

Details

Leadership & Organization Development Journal, vol. 42 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7739

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 July 2021

Zhining Wang, Tao Cui and Shaohan Cai

Based on affective events theory, this study explores the cross-level effect of team reflexivity on employee innovative behaviors. Specifically, the authors examine the mediating…

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Abstract

Purpose

Based on affective events theory, this study explores the cross-level effect of team reflexivity on employee innovative behaviors. Specifically, the authors examine the mediating effects of affective and normative commitment on this relationship, as well as the moderating effects of benevolent leadership.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors surveyed 341 employees and their direct supervisors in 74 work units and utilized multilevel path analysis to test a model of cross-level moderated mediation.

Findings

The study analysis results suggest that team reflexivity significantly contributes to employee innovative behavior. Both affective commitment and normative commitment mediate this relationship. Benevolent leadership not only enhances the relationship between team reflexivity and affective/normative commitment, but also reinforces the linkage of team reflexivity→affective commitment→employee innovative behavior.

Practical implications

The current study suggests that organizations should invest more in promoting team reflexivity and benevolent leadership in workplace. Furthermore, managers need to develop appropriate employees training programs and pay more attention to employees' work and personal lives. They need to make efforts to enhance employees' affective and normative commitment, thereby facilitating their innovative behavior.

Originality/value

This research identifies affective commitment and normative commitment as key mediators that link team reflexivity to employee innovative behavior and reveals the moderating role of benevolent leadership in the process.

Details

Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 37 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0268-3946

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 January 2022

Zhining Wang, Tao Cui, Shaohan Cai and Shuang Ren

Based on social information processing (SIP) theory, this study explores the cross-level effect of high-involvement work practices (HIWPs) on employee innovative behavior by…

1197

Abstract

Purpose

Based on social information processing (SIP) theory, this study explores the cross-level effect of high-involvement work practices (HIWPs) on employee innovative behavior by studying the mediating role of self-reflection/rumination and the moderating role of transactive memory system (TMS).

Design/methodology/approach

This study collects data from 452 employees and their direct supervisors in 94 work units, and tests a cross-level moderated mediation model using multilevel path analysis.

Findings

The results suggest that HIWPs significantly contribute to employee innovative behavior. Both self-reflection and self-rumination mediate the above relationship. TMS not only positively moderates the relationship between HIWPs and self-reflection, but also reinforces the linkage of HIWPs. →self-reflection→employee innovative behavior. Furthermore, TMS negatively moderates the relationship between HIWPs and self-rumination, and attenuates the mediating effect of self-rumination.

Practical implications

The study suggests that enterprises should invest more in promoting HIWPs and TMS in the workplace. Furthermore, managers should provide employees training programs to enhance their self-reflection, as well as lower self-rumination, in order to facilitate employee innovative behavior.

Originality/value

This research identifies self-reflection and self-rumination as key mediators that link HIWPs to employee innovative behavior and reveals the moderating role of TMS in the process.

Details

International Journal of Manpower, vol. 43 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7720

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 September 2021

Xinfeng Ye, Shaohan Cai and Zhining Wang

Prior research has suggested that abusive supervision has negative impacts on various work outcomes. However, little attention has been paid to the relationship between abusive…

Abstract

Purpose

Prior research has suggested that abusive supervision has negative impacts on various work outcomes. However, little attention has been paid to the relationship between abusive supervision and employees’ safety behaviour. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to address these limitations by developing and testing a theoretically based conceptual model that explicitly considers the underlying mechanism and boundary condition of the relationship between abusive supervision and safety behaviour of underground coal miners in China.

Design/methodology/approach

At Time 1, the authors conducted a survey of 630 employees to assess their supervisors’ abusive leadership behaviours, their own power distance beliefs and their self-reflection. At Time 2, the authros sent questionnaires to the leaders and invited them to evaluate employees’ safety behaviour in the workplace. After cleaning the survey data, the authors tested our model using a multi-level analysis on a sample (n = 458) of underground miners across 96 coal mining sites in China.

Findings

The authors propose that abusive supervision decreases employees’ safety compliance/participation by reducing reflection but strengthening rumination. The authors further find that the linkage from abusive supervision to reflection/rumination to safety compliance/participation is affected by power distance.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, This is one of the first empirical studies to investigate the mediating effects of a deep cognitive processing variable – namely, self-reflection – and the moderating effects of power distance on the relationship between abusive supervision and safety behaviour.

Details

Chinese Management Studies, vol. 16 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-614X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 October 2019

Zhining Wang, Lijun Meng and Shaohan Cai

The purpose of this paper is to explore the cross-level effect of servant leadership on employee innovative behavior by studying the mediating role of thriving at work and the…

2768

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the cross-level effect of servant leadership on employee innovative behavior by studying the mediating role of thriving at work and the moderating role of team reflexivity.

Design/methodology/approach

This research collected data from 199 dyads of employees and their direct supervisors in 55 work units, and tested a cross-level moderated mediation model using multilevel path analysis.

Findings

The findings suggest that thriving at work mediates the relationship between servant leadership and innovative behavior. The results also show that team reflexivity positively moderates the relationship between servant leadership and thriving at work and the mediating effect of thriving at work.

Practical implications

The empirical findings suggest that organizations should make efforts to promote servant leadership and encourage team reflexivity. Moreover, managers should make efforts to stimulate employees’ thriving at work, thereby facilitating employee and organizational development.

Originality/value

This research identifies thriving at work as a key mediator that links servant leadership to innovative behavior and reveals the role of team reflexivity in strengthening the effect of servant leadership on employee innovative behavior.

Details

Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 34 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0268-3946

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 November 2022

Zhining Wang, Chunjie Guan and Shaohan Cai

Based on social cognitive theory, this study aims to explore the effect of authentic leadership on employee green creativity by studying the mediating role of reflection and…

Abstract

Purpose

Based on social cognitive theory, this study aims to explore the effect of authentic leadership on employee green creativity by studying the mediating role of reflection and rumination and the moderating role of psychological capital.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used experience sampling methodology to test hypothesis. Specifically, this study applied two-level path analysis to analyze 1,290 observations from 129 employees.

Findings

The results show that authentic leadership positively influences reflection but negatively influences rumination, which in turn impact employees’ green creativity. Psychological capital positively moderates the effects of authentic leadership on reflection and negatively moderates the effects of authentic leadership on rumination. Furthermore, psychological capital moderates the linkages between authentic leadership, self-reflection and employee green creativity.

Practical implications

Organizations should make efforts in promoting authentic leadership and recruiting employees who possess high psychological capital. Moreover, managers can make effective efforts to stimulate employees’ reflection and mitigate rumination, thereby facilitating organizational sustainable development.

Originality/value

In investigating green issues related to employees’ daily cognitive processes, this study focuses on within-personal reaction mechanism to authentic leadership, concerning the moderating effect of individual psychological capital.

Details

Chinese Management Studies, vol. 18 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-614X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 August 2022

Xinfeng Ye, Shaohan Cai, Xinchun Li and Zhining Wang

The purpose of this paper is to argue that green hope (GH) and green organizational identification (GOI) play critical roles in transforming top management green commitment (TMGC…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to argue that green hope (GH) and green organizational identification (GOI) play critical roles in transforming top management green commitment (TMGC) into desired employees task-related green behavior (TRGB) and voluntary workplace green behavior (VWGB) based on positive psychology.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors test the multilevel moderated mediation model by analyzing data collected from 491 hospitality employees and their direct supervisors in 103 teams. At Time 1, the authors conducted a survey of 905 team members to provide demographic information and evaluate TMGC, as well as their own GOI. At Time 2, the authors sent a follow-up questionnaire to employees who participated Time 1, asking them to evaluate their GH in the workplace. At Time 3, the authors sent questionnaires to the leaders of the respondents of T2 survey and invited them to evaluate TRGB and VWGB in the workplace.

Findings

The results show that TMGC facilitates two types of employees’ behaviors toward both TRGB and VWGB by enhancing hospitality employees’ GH. As a team-level variable, GOI has a positive moderating effect on the association between TMGC and GH. The authors discuss the theoretical implications as well as practical implications for managers seeking to promote sustainability in their hospitality industry.

Originality/value

This is one of the first empirical studies to investigate the mediating effects of a positive psychology variable, namely, GH – and the moderating effects of GOI on the relationship between TMGC and employee green behavior (EGB).

Article
Publication date: 19 August 2021

Zhining Wang, Tao Cui, Shaohan Cai and Shuang Ren

Based on experiential learning theory (ELT), this study explores the cross-level effect of team reflexivity on employee innovative behavior. The authors especially focus on the…

Abstract

Purpose

Based on experiential learning theory (ELT), this study explores the cross-level effect of team reflexivity on employee innovative behavior. The authors especially focus on the mediating effect of individual intellectual capital (IIC) and the moderating effect of empowering leadership on the relationship between the two constructs.

Design/methodology/approach

This study collects data from 76 work units, which include 362 employees and their direct supervisors. A cross-level moderated mediation model was tested by using multilevel path analysis.

Findings

The results show that team reflexivity significantly contributes to employee innovative behavior. IIC mediates the above relationship. Empowering leadership not only positively moderates the relationship between team reflexivity and IIC but also reinforces the linkage of team reflexivity → IIC → employee innovative behavior.

Practical implications

The study suggests that organizations should invest more in promoting team reflexivity and empowering leadership in the workplace. Furthermore, managers should make members aware of the importance of IIC for employee innovative behavior. They need to make efforts to enhance IIC via internal communication channels or open discussions, which facilitate IIC and employee innovative behavior.

Originality/value

This research tests the relationship between team reflexivity and employee innovative behavior and identifies IIC as a key mediator that links team reflexivity to employee innovative behavior. It also highlights the moderating role of empowering leadership in the process.

Details

Journal of Intellectual Capital, vol. 23 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1469-1930

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 January 2021

Zhining Wang, Shuang Ren, Doren Chadee, Mengli Liu and Shaohan Cai

Although team reflexivity has been identified as a potent tool for improving organizational performance, how and when it influences individual employee innovative behavior remains…

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Abstract

Purpose

Although team reflexivity has been identified as a potent tool for improving organizational performance, how and when it influences individual employee innovative behavior remains theoretically and conceptually underspecified. Taking a knowledge management perspective, this study aims to investigate the role of team-level knowledge sharing and leadership in transforming team reflexivity into innovative behavior at the individual level.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper follows a multilevel study design to collect data (n = 441) from 91 teams in 48 knowledge-based organizations. The paper tests our multilevel model using multinomial logistic techniques.

Findings

The overall results confirm that knowledge sharing in teams mediates the influence of team reflexivity on individual employee innovative behavior, and that leadership plays an important role in moderating these influences. Specifically, authoritarian leadership is found to attenuate the team reflexivity and knowledge sharing effect, whereas benevolent leadership is found to amplify this indirect effect.

Originality/value

The multilevel study design that explains how team-level processes translate into innovative behavior at the individual employee level is novel. Relatedly, our use of a multilevel analytical framework is also original.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 25 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

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