Observing Leadership as and in Networks: A Multilevel Investigation of Shared Leadership, Discrete Emotions, and Knowledge Behaviors
Lifang Chen,1 Guilan Yu,1 Bo Fu2 1School of Business and Management, Jilin University, Changchun, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Management, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Bo Fu, School of Management, Guangzhou University, No. 230 Wai Huan Road Wes...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Dove Medical Press
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Psychology Research and Behavior Management |
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| Online Access: | https://www.dovepress.com/observing-leadership-as-and-in-networks-a-multilevel-investigation-of--peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-PRBM |
| _version_ | 1828355823385968640 |
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| author | Chen L Yu G Fu B |
| author_facet | Chen L Yu G Fu B |
| author_sort | Chen L |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Lifang Chen,1 Guilan Yu,1 Bo Fu2 1School of Business and Management, Jilin University, Changchun, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Management, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Bo Fu, School of Management, Guangzhou University, No. 230 Wai Huan Road West, University City, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 188 0707 1295, Email fubo613@gzhu.edu.cnPurpose: With an increasing demand for shared leadership to address complex, dynamic, and diverse knowledge situations, more attention should be paid to the knowledge behaviors of emergent leaders in teams. However, there is thus far a lack of research into the multilevel nature of shared leadership. Using a dual network lens, this study considers two aspects of shared leadership: “shared leadership as networks” (SLAN) and “shared leadership in networks” (SLIN). Based on emotion appraisal theory, this study investigated the impact of SLIN on leaders’ productive and counterproductive knowledge behaviors through discrete emotions (pride and fear of losing power) and the moderating role of SLAN in guiding their emotions and subsequent behaviors.Methods: A social network approach was employed to obtain data among 431 employees from 72 teams in China. We identified 350 emergent leaders via leadership sociograms. Statistical analysis methods, including multilevel regression analysis, Monte Carlo simulation, and simple slope analysis, were utilized to test our hypotheses.Results: This study indicates that (1) SLIN is positively associated with pride (B = 0.33, p < 0.001), which in turn increases knowledge sharing (B = 0.37, p < 0.001); (2) SLIN is positively related to fear of losing power (B = 0.21, p < 0.05), which in turn is negatively associated with knowledge sharing (B = − 0.23, p < 0.001) and positively associated with knowledge hiding (B = 0.19, p < 0.001); (3) SLAN moderated these aforementioned indirect effects.Conclusion and Originality: First, by defining and differentiating between SLAN and SLIN, this study expands a new perspective on SLIN and facilitates the further development of multilevel shared leadership. Second, this study responds to recent calls for more research on leadership networks and individual-level outcomes of shared leadership. Moreover, it offers a novel theoretical framework to illustrate the impact of SLIN on their knowledge behaviors. Finally, the focus on the moderating role of SLAN identifies a significant contextual factor that prevents the dysfunctional effects of SLIN. These original discoveries enrich the literature on team leadership, emotions, and knowledge management. Further, our novel findings may be of interest to practitioners as they help organizations and teams manage the complex impacts of SLIN on knowledge behaviors in the contexts of an ongoing “affective revolution” and team-based organizational structures.Keywords: shared leadership, pride, fear of losing power, knowledge sharing, knowledge hiding, social network approach |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T02:49:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8669375e9f6d42eea20db8f551621f08 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1179-1578 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T02:49:08Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | Dove Medical Press |
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| series | Psychology Research and Behavior Management |
| spelling | doaj.art-8669375e9f6d42eea20db8f551621f082022-12-22T02:16:24ZengDove Medical PressPsychology Research and Behavior Management1179-15782022-08-01Volume 152315233077607Observing Leadership as and in Networks: A Multilevel Investigation of Shared Leadership, Discrete Emotions, and Knowledge BehaviorsChen LYu GFu BLifang Chen,1 Guilan Yu,1 Bo Fu2 1School of Business and Management, Jilin University, Changchun, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Management, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Bo Fu, School of Management, Guangzhou University, No. 230 Wai Huan Road West, University City, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 188 0707 1295, Email fubo613@gzhu.edu.cnPurpose: With an increasing demand for shared leadership to address complex, dynamic, and diverse knowledge situations, more attention should be paid to the knowledge behaviors of emergent leaders in teams. However, there is thus far a lack of research into the multilevel nature of shared leadership. Using a dual network lens, this study considers two aspects of shared leadership: “shared leadership as networks” (SLAN) and “shared leadership in networks” (SLIN). Based on emotion appraisal theory, this study investigated the impact of SLIN on leaders’ productive and counterproductive knowledge behaviors through discrete emotions (pride and fear of losing power) and the moderating role of SLAN in guiding their emotions and subsequent behaviors.Methods: A social network approach was employed to obtain data among 431 employees from 72 teams in China. We identified 350 emergent leaders via leadership sociograms. Statistical analysis methods, including multilevel regression analysis, Monte Carlo simulation, and simple slope analysis, were utilized to test our hypotheses.Results: This study indicates that (1) SLIN is positively associated with pride (B = 0.33, p < 0.001), which in turn increases knowledge sharing (B = 0.37, p < 0.001); (2) SLIN is positively related to fear of losing power (B = 0.21, p < 0.05), which in turn is negatively associated with knowledge sharing (B = − 0.23, p < 0.001) and positively associated with knowledge hiding (B = 0.19, p < 0.001); (3) SLAN moderated these aforementioned indirect effects.Conclusion and Originality: First, by defining and differentiating between SLAN and SLIN, this study expands a new perspective on SLIN and facilitates the further development of multilevel shared leadership. Second, this study responds to recent calls for more research on leadership networks and individual-level outcomes of shared leadership. Moreover, it offers a novel theoretical framework to illustrate the impact of SLIN on their knowledge behaviors. Finally, the focus on the moderating role of SLAN identifies a significant contextual factor that prevents the dysfunctional effects of SLIN. These original discoveries enrich the literature on team leadership, emotions, and knowledge management. Further, our novel findings may be of interest to practitioners as they help organizations and teams manage the complex impacts of SLIN on knowledge behaviors in the contexts of an ongoing “affective revolution” and team-based organizational structures.Keywords: shared leadership, pride, fear of losing power, knowledge sharing, knowledge hiding, social network approachhttps://www.dovepress.com/observing-leadership-as-and-in-networks-a-multilevel-investigation-of--peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-PRBMshared leadershippridefear of losing powerknowledge sharingknowledge hidingsocial network approach |
| spellingShingle | Chen L Yu G Fu B Observing Leadership as and in Networks: A Multilevel Investigation of Shared Leadership, Discrete Emotions, and Knowledge Behaviors Psychology Research and Behavior Management shared leadership pride fear of losing power knowledge sharing knowledge hiding social network approach |
| title | Observing Leadership as and in Networks: A Multilevel Investigation of Shared Leadership, Discrete Emotions, and Knowledge Behaviors |
| title_full | Observing Leadership as and in Networks: A Multilevel Investigation of Shared Leadership, Discrete Emotions, and Knowledge Behaviors |
| title_fullStr | Observing Leadership as and in Networks: A Multilevel Investigation of Shared Leadership, Discrete Emotions, and Knowledge Behaviors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Observing Leadership as and in Networks: A Multilevel Investigation of Shared Leadership, Discrete Emotions, and Knowledge Behaviors |
| title_short | Observing Leadership as and in Networks: A Multilevel Investigation of Shared Leadership, Discrete Emotions, and Knowledge Behaviors |
| title_sort | observing leadership as and in networks a multilevel investigation of shared leadership discrete emotions and knowledge behaviors |
| topic | shared leadership pride fear of losing power knowledge sharing knowledge hiding social network approach |
| url | https://www.dovepress.com/observing-leadership-as-and-in-networks-a-multilevel-investigation-of--peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-PRBM |
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