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Transformational leadership dimensions and employee creativity in China: A cross-level analysis

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  • Li, Chaoping
  • Zhao, Hao
  • Begley, Thomas M.

Abstract

China's rapid economic growth is staggering but the country still has a long way to go before becoming a center for innovation and creativity. We examine whether or not transformational leadership can encourage employee creativity, using a Chinese-specific transformational leadership model. The study proposes a positive relationship between organization-level transformational leadership and individual level creativity which will be mediated by psychological safety climate. Analyses of multisource and multilevel data from 123 branches of a retail bank in mainland China show that two dimensions of transformational leadership, moral modeling and individualized consideration, are positively related to employee creativity. Although these two dimensions relate to a psychologically safe organizational climate, the climate does not relate to employee creativity. We discuss the findings in light of the Chinese cultural context.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Chaoping & Zhao, Hao & Begley, Thomas M., 2015. "Transformational leadership dimensions and employee creativity in China: A cross-level analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(6), pages 1149-1156.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:68:y:2015:i:6:p:1149-1156
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2014.11.009
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gumusluoglu, Lale & Ilsev, Arzu, 2009. "Transformational leadership, creativity, and organizational innovation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 62(4), pages 461-473, April.
    2. Peter Woods & David Lamond, 2011. "What Would Confucius Do? – Confucian Ethics and Self-Regulation in Management," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 102(4), pages 669-683, September.
    3. Tepper, Bennett J., 2001. "Health Consequences of Organizational Injustice: Tests of Main and Interactive Effects," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 86(2), pages 197-215, November.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Bruce Gashema & Misago Isae Kadhafi, 2020. "Advancing employee’s innovative work behaviors in the workplace: The role of transformational leadership, positive psychological capital and effort-reward fairness," Bussecon Review of Social Sciences (2687-2285), Bussecon International Academy, vol. 2(1), pages 13-26, January.
    2. Yanchun Zhang & Junwei Zheng & Amos Darko, 2018. "How Does Transformational Leadership Promote Innovation in Construction? The Mediating Role of Innovation Climate and the Multilevel Moderation Role of Project Requirements," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-19, May.
    3. Rentao Miao & Yi Cao, 2019. "High-Performance Work System, Work Well-Being, and Employee Creativity: Cross-Level Moderating Role of Transformational Leadership," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-24, May.
    4. Cai-Hui Veronica Lin & Jian-Min James Sun, 2018. "Chinese employees’ leadership preferences and the relationship with power distance orientation and core self-evaluation," Frontiers of Business Research in China, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-22, December.
    5. Newman, Alexander & Tse, Herman H.M. & Schwarz, Gary & Nielsen, Ingrid, 2018. "The effects of employees' creative self-efficacy on innovative behavior: The role of entrepreneurial leadership," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 1-9.
    6. Guo, Liang & Decoster, Stijn & Babalola, Mayowa T. & De Schutter, Leander & Garba, Omale A. & Riisla, Katrin, 2018. "Authoritarian leadership and employee creativity: The moderating role of psychological capital and the mediating role of fear and defensive silence," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 219-230.
    7. Breidenthal, Amy P. & Liu, Dong & Bai, Yuntao & Mao, Yina, 2020. "The dark side of creativity: Coworker envy and ostracism as a response to employee creativity," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 242-254.
    8. Yuanjie Bao & Chaoping Li, 2019. "From moral leadership to positive work behaviors: the mediating roles of value congruence and leader-member exchange," Frontiers of Business Research in China, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 1-18, December.

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