Paradoxical leadership and employee innovation: Organization-based self-esteem and harmonious passion as sequential mediators

• Miaomiao Wang

  Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics

• Jie Zhang

  Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics

• Jie He

  Hunan University of Science and Technology

• Yanzhao Bi

  Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics

We applied self-concept theory and self-determination theory and proposed that the relationship between paradoxical leadership and employee innovation would be sequentially mediated by organization-based self-esteem and harmonious passion. We tested our hypotheses by surveying 374 full-time employees in China and adopting structural equation modeling. The results indicate that paradoxical leadership was positively associated with employees’ organization-based self-esteem, harmonious passion, and innovation. Moreover, the positive effect of paradoxical leadership on employees’ innovation behavior was sequentially mediated by organization-based self-esteem and harmonious passion. Our findings advance understanding of the mechanism underlying the relationship of paradoxical leadership with employees’ innovation behavior, and provide a meaningful extension of the leadership literature. We discuss implications for theory and practice.

1. Miaomiao Wang, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics
   College of Economics and Management
2. Jie Zhang, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics
   College of Economics and Management
3. Jie He, Hunan University of Science and Technology
   School of Management
4. Yanzhao Bi, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics
   College of Economics and Management

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