Untangling the team social capital–team innovation link: The role of proportional task conflict as well as group- and differentiated individual-focused transformational leadership

Abstract

Findings from prior research on the relationship between a team’s social network architecture and team innovation have been inconclusive. Integrating social network theory with input-process-output models of team innovation, our research aims to reconcile the mixed findings in the literature by introducing a novel process perspective as well as highlighting a relevant contingency factor to untangle the team social capital – team innovation link. We propose that team social capital, operationalized as bridging and bonding social capital, negatively influences team innovation via team proportional task conflict, which is the level of task conflict teams experience proportional to the general level of team conflict (i.e., task, relationship, and process conflict). In addition, we expected group and differentiated individual-focused transformational leadership (TFL) to buffer the negative indirect effect of team social capital on team innovation via team proportional task conflict. Results from time-lagged data collected from research and development (R&D) teams in Iraq revealed that teams with bonding and bridging social capital are less innovative because they experience less proportional task conflict. Furthermore, group-focused TFL buffered the negative indirect relationship of team bridging social capital on team innovation via proportional task conflict. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Transformational Leadership and Project Success: The Roles of Social Capital and Self-Efficacy

“…Strong bonding reduces the complexity of the organization. Employee deviance and bad dispositions may be minimized by nurturing a strong link between leaders and followers (Stollberger et al, 2022).…”

Transformational leadership and learning flows

“…In a diary study conducted by Bakker, Hetland, Olsen and Espevik (2022), transformational leadership behaviors exhibited by immediate supervisors increased the subordinates’ use of personal strengths, and personal initiatives were taken. Sub-dimensions of transformational leadership behaviors, idealized influence and inspirational motivation correspond to group-focused leadership behaviors; individualized consideration and intellectual stimulation together make up for differentiated individual focused transformational leadership behaviors (Stollberger, Ali Al-Atwi & De Cremer, 2022).…”

Role of Digital Leadership Capability in Shaping IT Innovation

“…To examine the effectiveness of leadership in digital transformation, the authors take theoretical support from leadership theories (Bass, 1985) that argue that organizational leaders possess the ability to channelize teams by influencing and inspiring them to contribute to a common goal with fewer conflicts (Stollberger et al, 2022). It is believed that leaders with digital capabilities can create a shared vision and communicate it with clarity.…”