IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i12p7491-d842868.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

How Supportive Leadership Promotes Employee Innovation under Uncertainty: Evidence from Chinese E-Commerce Industry

Author

Listed:
  • Yan Wang

    (School of Business, Honghe University, Mengzi 661199, China)

  • Tachia Chin

    (School of Business, Honghe University, Mengzi 661199, China)

  • Francesco Caputo

    (Department of Economics, Management and Institutions, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy)

  • Hanfeng Liu

    (School of Business, Honghe University, Mengzi 661199, China)

Abstract

Innovative behavior (IB) is an important issue in academic and other sectors. The increasing uncertainty caused by COVID-19 has resulted in rising job insecurity for employees in the e-commerce industry. This has jeopardized career sustainability (CS). Numerous studies have explored the influence of supportive leadership (SL) on IB, but so far there is still a dearth of research investigating the role of CS. In addition, CS must be considered because the perceived sustainability of a career has an impact on individual innovation. Therefore, based on job demands-resources (JDR) theory, we analyzed the effects of SL on IB as well as the roles of CS in IB. The mediating role of employee’s perceived occupational sustainability was explored. This study investigates the associations between supportive leadership style (job resource) and employee innovative behavior (job demand). In total, 308 valid samples were collected from China. Structural equation modeling examines the construct validity and path relationships. The results show that in China’s e-commerce industry, under the uncertainty brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, only when employees perceive CS can SL promote the transformation of job resources into workplace IB. That is, CS completely mediates SL and IB. This provides new information for the management of employee behavior in the current special period. The result revealed that SL improves IB through CS. Theoretically, this study fills the gap and establishes a theoretical framework for SL and IB. Practically, we offer guidance for enterprises and managers in that they should provide their employees with work resources which are good for employee CS so as to promote employees’ IB.

Suggested Citation

  • Yan Wang & Tachia Chin & Francesco Caputo & Hanfeng Liu, 2022. "How Supportive Leadership Promotes Employee Innovation under Uncertainty: Evidence from Chinese E-Commerce Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-14, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:12:p:7491-:d:842868
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/12/7491/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/12/7491/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Davidson Mghanga Mwaisaka & George K'Aol & Caren Ouma, 2019. "Influence of directive and supportive leadership styles on employee job satisfaction in commercial banks in in Kenya," International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 8(6), pages 162-174, October.
    2. Justin J. P. Jansen & Konstantinos C. Kostopoulos & Oli R. Mihalache & Alexandros Papalexandris, 2016. "A Socio-Psychological Perspective on Team Ambidexterity: The Contingency Role of Supportive Leadership Behaviours," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(6), pages 939-965, September.
    3. Caggiano, Giovanni & Castelnuovo, Efrem & Kima, Richard, 2020. "The global effects of Covid-19-induced uncertainty," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    4. Islam Bourini, 2021. "The Effect Of Supportive Leader On Employees’ Absorptive Capacity Towards Innovative Behaviour," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 25(01), pages 1-25, January.
    5. Selva Staub & Senem Nart & Hüsnü Dayan, 2019. "The Role of Supportive Leader in Influencing Intrapreneurship and Innovation: A Study on the Printing Houses in Topkapi, Istanbul," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 16(04), pages 1-11, June.
    6. Tachia Chin & Yin Yang & Pei Zhang & Xiaofen Yu & Luying Cao, 2019. "Co-creation of Social Innovation: Corporate Universities as Innovative Strategies for Chinese Firms to Engage with Society," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-13, March.
    7. Williams, Larry J. & Brown, Barbara K., 1994. "Method Variance in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources Research: Effects on Correlations, Path Coefficients, and Hypothesis Testing," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 57(2), pages 185-209, February.
    8. Kim, Kyoung Yong & Atwater, Leanne & Jolly, Phillip & Ugwuanyi, Ijeoma & Baik, Kibok & Yu, Jia, 2021. "Supportive leadership and job performance: Contributions of supportive climate, team-member exchange (TMX), and group-mean TMX," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 661-674.
    9. May-Chiun Lo & T. Ramayah & Hii Wei Min & Peter Songan, 2010. "The relationship between leadership styles and organizational commitment in Malaysia: role of leader--member exchange," Asia Pacific Business Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(1-2), pages 79-103, January.
    10. repec:zbw:bofrdp:2020_011 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Zvi H. Aronson, 2018. "An Investigation of Culture and Contextual Performance in Projects: What is the Role of Project Leader Personal Style Differences?," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 15(04), pages 1-27, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Qi Li & Tachia Chin & Benjian Peng, 2023. "How Paradoxical Leadership Promotes Employees’ Career Sustainability: Evidence from the Chinese Cross-Border E-Commerce Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-17, August.
    2. Gökhan Akıncı & Lutfihak Alpkan & Bora Yıldız & Gaye Karacay, 2022. "The Link between Ambidextrous Leadership and Innovative Work Behavior in a Military Organization: The Moderating Role of Climate for Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-19, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zaman, Shah & Wang, Zilong & Rasool, Samma Faiz & Zaman, Qamar uz & Raza, Hamid, 2022. "Impact of critical success factors and supportive leadership on sustainable success of renewable energy projects: Empirical evidence from Pakistan," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    2. Miescu, Mirela & Rossi, Raffaele, 2021. "COVID-19-induced shocks and uncertainty," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    3. Mammassis, Constantinos S. & Kostopoulos, Konstantinos C., 2019. "CEO goal orientations, environmental dynamism and organizational ambidexterity: An investigation in SMEs," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 577-588.
    4. Norbert Bajkó & Zsolt Fülöp & Kinga Nagyné Pércsi, 2022. "Changes in the Innovation- and Marketing-Habits of Family SMEs in the Foodstuffs Industry, Caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic in Hungary," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-17, March.
    5. Jianchun Fang & Giray Gozgor & Sercan Pekel, 2020. "Where You Export Matters: Measuring Uncertainty in Turkey's Export Markets," CESifo Working Paper Series 8404, CESifo.
    6. Qiaoling Wang & Ziyu Kou & Xiaodan Sun & Shanshan Wang & Xianjuan Wang & Hui Jing & Peiying Lin, 2022. "Predictive Analysis of the Pro-Environmental Behaviour of College Students Using a Decision-Tree Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-14, July.
    7. Zaghum Umar & Mariya Gubareva & Tatiana Sokolova, 2021. "The impact of the Covid-19 related media coverage upon the five major developing markets," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(7), pages 1-28, July.
    8. Andrea Carriero & Todd E. Clark & Massimiliano Marcellino & Elmar Mertens, 2020. "Measuring Uncertainty and Its Effects in the COVID-19 Era," Working Papers 20-32R, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, revised 05 Jan 2022.
    9. Afees A. Salisu & Idris A. Adediran & Rangan Gupta, 2021. "A Note on the COVID-19 Shock and Real GDP in Emerging Economies: A Counterfactual Analysis from the Threshold-Augmented Global Vector Autoregressive Model," Working Papers 202149, University of Pretoria, Department of Economics.
    10. Markus Brueckner & Joaquin Vespignani, 2021. "COVID‐19 Infections and the Performance of the Stock Market: An Empirical Analysis for Australia," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 40(3), pages 173-193, September.
    11. Peng-Fei Dai & Xiong Xiong & Zhifeng Liu & Toan Luu Duc Huynh & Jianjun Sun, 2021. "Preventing crash in stock market: The role of economic policy uncertainty during COVID-19," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 7(1), pages 1-15, December.
    12. Patzelt, Holger & Gartzia, Leire & Wolfe, Marcus T. & Shepherd, Dean A., 2021. "Managing negative emotions from entrepreneurial project failure: When and how does supportive leadership help employees?," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(5).
    13. Osama Khassawneh & Hamzah Elrehail, 2022. "The Effect of Participative Leadership Style on Employees’ Performance: The Contingent Role of Institutional Theory," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-13, December.
    14. Dhir, Amandeep & Khan, Sher Jahan & Islam, Nazrul & Ractham, Peter & Meenakshi, N., 2023. "Drivers of sustainable business model innovations. An upper echelon theory perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    15. Qianqian Hu & Tianlun Zhu & Chien-Liang Lin & Tiejun Chen & Tachia Chin, 2021. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Firm Performance in China’s Manufacturing: A Global Perspective of Business Models," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-17, February.
    16. Todd Sandler, 2023. "COVID-19 Activities: Publicness and Strategic Concerns," Games, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-19, January.
    17. Pedro M. Nogueira Reis, 2022. "Determinants of Qualified Investor Sentiment during the COVID-19 Pandemic in North America, Asia, and Europe," Economies, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-20, June.
    18. Arigoni, Filippo & Lenarčič, Črt, 2023. "Foreign economic policy uncertainty shocks and real activity in the Euro area," MPRA Paper 120022, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Maresch, Daniela & Harms, Rainer & Kailer, Norbert & Wimmer-Wurm, Birgit, 2016. "The impact of entrepreneurship education on the entrepreneurial intention of students in science and engineering versus business studies university programs," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 172-179.
    20. Christopher Kurzhals & Lorenz Graf‐Vlachy & Andreas König, 2020. "Strategic leadership and technological innovation: A comprehensive review and research agenda," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(6), pages 437-464, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:12:p:7491-:d:842868. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.