Shared leadership and innovative behavior in scientific research teams: a dual psychological perspective
ISSN: 1750-614X
Article publication date: 30 June 2021
Issue publication date: 25 March 2022
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the mechanism of shared leadership on team members’ innovative behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
Paired questionnaires were collected from 89 scientific research teams in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region of China at two-time points with a time lag of 4 months. Then multilevel structural equation model method was applied to analyze the multiple mediating effects.
Findings
This study finds that: the form of shared leadership in scientific research teams of universities; shared leadership has a positive impact on team members’ innovative behavior; there are multiple mediations in the relationship including synchronization and sequence of creative self-efficacy and achievement motivation.
Originality/value
According to the “stimulus-organism-response” model, this paper has constructed a multi-level theoretical model that shared leadership influences individual innovation behavior and reveals the “black box” from the perspective of psychological mechanism. It not only verifies that “can-do” shapes “willing to do” but also makes up for the gap of an empirical test of the effectiveness of shared leadership in scientific research teams of universities. Besides, the formal scale of shared leadership in the Chinese situation is revised, which can provide a reference for future empirical research on shared leadership. The research conclusions provide new ideas for improving the management of scientific research teams in universities.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to extend thanks to the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Hebei Province Department of Science and Technology and the Hebei Province Education Department for funding support. The authors are very grateful to reviewers and editors for the guidance during the review.
Funding: The National Natural Science Foundation of China “Research on the Strategic Human Capital Structure and Generating Mechanism of Business-oriented Strategies” (71172153), host: Gao Suying; Hebei Province Natural Science Fund Project “Study on the Mechanism of Enterprise Innovative Human Capital Resource Generation: Multi-level Emergence and Empowerment” (G2018202345), host: Gao Suying and Hebei Province Science and Technology Department Fund Project “Research on Evaluation of Scientific Research Performance of University Teachers Based on Multidimensional Views” (20180301), host: Gao Suying.
Citation
Liu, H., Gao, S., Xing, H., Xu, L., Wang, Y. and Yu, Q. (2022), "Shared leadership and innovative behavior in scientific research teams: a dual psychological perspective", Chinese Management Studies, Vol. 16 No. 2, pp. 466-492. https://doi.org/10.1108/CMS-02-2020-0070
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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