From Ethical Leadership to Team Creativity: The Mediating Role of Shared Leadership and the Moderating Effect of Leader–Member Exchange Differentiation

Abstract

Alongside ethical leadership’s effectiveness on team creativity, the superiority of shared leadership has been emphasized in the literature. Based on role theory, social information processing theory, and allocation preferences theory, this study suggests that shared leadership functions as a critical intermediating mechanism to explain the influence of ethical leadership on team-level creativity. Moreover, the dispersion value of leader–member exchange (LMXD) moderates the influence of ethical leadership on shared leadership. To empirically test our hypotheses, this paper used multisource samples and team-level data with moderated mediation model with PLS-SEM method. This study targeted a sample of 30 leaders and 233 team members who work at HRD Korea where a team structure is utilized. The results of structural equation modeling showed that ethical leadership increased shared leadership, and ethical leadership and shared leadership both positively affected team creativity. Shared leadership functioned as a crucial mediating factor in the ethical leadership–team creativity link. Moreover, the team-level LMXD moderated ethical leadership effectiveness on creativity via shared leadership.

International Scientific Conference “New Challenges in Economic and Business Development – 2022: Responsible Growth” : Proceedings

“…Table 1 Criteria for shared leadership Author Criteria Wang, J., Kim, H.-R., Kim, B.-J. (2021) Shared leadership functions as a critical intermediating mechanism to explain the influence of ethical leadership on team-level creativity D'Innocenzo, L., Kukenberger, M., Farro, A.C., Griffith, J.A.…”

“…In recent years, leadership researchers have emphasized a team-level phenomenon, where leadership is carried out by the team as a whole, rather than exclusively by those at the top or by those in formal leadership positions (Pearce C.L., et al, 2014). Many modern organizations make explicit use of teams because teamwork allows professionals to combine their unique individual expertise to perform complex tasks (Wang J., et al, 2021;D'Innocenzo L., et al 2 021;Wu Q., et al, 2021) By definition, shared leadership is described as a dynamic, interactive influence process among individuals in groups for which the objective is to lead one another to the achievement of group or organizational goals or both (Pearce, C.L., et al, 2004). There are several definitions of shared leadership.…”

“…et al, 2014;22. Vandewaerde M., et al 2011;Wang J., et al, 2021;D'Innocenzo L., et al 2021;Wu Q., et al, 2021). Researchers do not deny vertical leadership structures but believe that shared leadership can improve internal processes within a team (Carson J.B., et al, 2007).…”

“…A shared leadership represents a fundamental shift away from the notion of a single, appointed leader, to the idea that team members mutually influence each other and collectively share leadership roles, responsibilities, and functions. Nowadays, researchers increasingly recognize the team as an alternative way of leadership (Wang J., et al, 2021;D'Innocenzo L., et al, 2021) and notice the organizations that are structured around the teams (Burton C.M., et al, 2019;Tamunomiebi M.C., Uhuru G.P., 2018).…”

“…In the scientific literature teams are defined as a collection of individuals who are interdependent in their tasks, who share responsibility for outcomes, who see themselves and who are seen by others as an intact social entity embedded in one or more larger social systems (Cohen S.G., Bailey D.E., 1997). To achieve goals, organisations have invested significant funds to develop the creative abilities of their members because they are the main actors who substantially plan and perform innovation (Wang J., et al, 2021). Shared leadership models propose that success in knowledge-based environments, where complex problem solving is required, depends less on the heroic actions of a few individuals at the top and more on interdependent, coordinative leadership practices distributed throughout an organization.…”