Leader mindfulness and employee creativity: The importance of leader–member exchange

• Huwa Tan

  Xi’an University of Science and Technology

• Zhou Wang

  School of Marxism, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, and School of Marxism, Xi’an University

• Jiaxin Huang

  City University of Macau

The main objective of this study was to clarify the mechanisms through which leader mindfulness enhances employee creativity, and we proposed that leader–member exchange (LMX) would act as a mediator of this relationship. To test our hypotheses we conducted a survey with 329 subordinates and 51 supervisors employed at three large manufacturing companies in China. The results of structural equation modeling show that the association of leader mindfulness with employee creativity was positive, and that LMX partially mediated this link. This study provides useful insights in explaining the impact that leader mindfulness has on employee creativity by focusing on LMX as a mediator. Our findings indicate that organizations should take leader mindfulness into account, and that managerial interventions should be implemented to establish high-quality LMX relationship.

1. Huwa Tan, Xi’an University of Science and Technology

   School of Marxism

2. Jiaxin Huang, City University of Macau
   Graduate School

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