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The role of Yin-Yang leadership and cosmopolitan followership in fostering employee commitment in China: a paradox perspective

Author

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  • Lee, Hyun-Jung
  • Reade, Carol

Abstract

Purpose – Utilizing a paradox perspective, this paper investigates the leadership-followership dynamic in foreign firms in China, specifically, the extent to which Yin-Yang leadership behaviors of Japanese expatriates and cosmopolitanism of Chinese employees influence employee commitment. Design/methodology/approach – Data was collected through an online survey of Chinese employees who directly report to a Japanese supervisor in a Japanese subsidiary in China. Based on responses from 97 Chinese employees in three Japanese subsidiaries in China, we test if their cosmopolitan orientation and perceived Yin-Yang leadership behaviors of Japanese supervisors are related to employee commitment. Findings - Yin-Yang leadership and cosmopolitan followership have a positive effect on employee commitment. Further, cosmopolitanism moderates the link between Yin-Yang leadership and employee commitment such that the follower's cosmopolitanism compensates for lower levels of Yin-Yang leadership, especially a relative lack of Yin leadership behaviors. Research limitations/implications- Results suggest that Yin-Yang leadership and cosmopolitan followership work together as a two-way street of cultural adaptability to build employee commitment, highlighting the interplay between leadership and followership in multinational enterprises. Future research should attempt to further refine the Yin-Yang leadership construct, and to gain a larger sample representing multiple expatriate nationalities to corroborate the relationships found in this study.

Suggested Citation

  • Lee, Hyun-Jung & Reade, Carol, 2018. "The role of Yin-Yang leadership and cosmopolitan followership in fostering employee commitment in China: a paradox perspective," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 87321, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
  • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:87321
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/87321/
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    Cited by:

    1. Larry Enoch Jowah & Ihab Alagha, 2021. "The Impact of Transactional Leadership as a Strategic Imperative in Project Execution at a Mobile Company in the Gaza Strip, Palestine," Eurasian Journal of Business and Management, Eurasian Publications, vol. 9(2), pages 123-138.
    2. Zhuo Zhang & Jie Li & Tomoki Sekiguchi, 2022. "Exploring The Predictors and Mechanism of Protean Career Orientation in Eastern Context: The Effect of Yin-Yang Values, Career Adaptability, and Traditional Gender Role Beliefs," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 22-07, Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    cosmopolitanism; Yin-Yang; cross-cultural leadership; employee commitment; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J50 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - General

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