DOI: 10.6129/CJP.201803_60(1).0003
Chinese Journal of Psychology 2018, Vol.60, No.1, 57-79

The Double-Edged Sword of Benevolence: A Dual Paths Model of Benevolent Leadership and Creative Performance

Shih-Ming Wang（Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University）；Wan-Ju Chou（Department of Psychology, Chung Yuan Christian University）；Tsung-Yu Wu（Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University）；Bor-Shiuan Cheng（Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University）

Abstract

Based on the norm of reciprocity and role obligation, this study suggests that benevolent leadership (BL) might not only have positive effect on creative performance (CP) through psychological safety (PS) but also have negative effect on CP through subordinate obedience (SO). However, prior research has only found the positive relationship between BL and CP under certain situation. It is not clear regarding how and when BL influences CP negatively. In order to fill up the research gap, the present study investigated the mediating effect of PS and SO on the relationship between BL and CP as well as identifying job autonomy (JA) as a moderator that influence the mediating effect of PS and SO. Using 185 dyad of supervisors and subordinates as samples, the study found that BL influences CP positively through PS; however, BL does not have negative impact on CP via SO. Furthermore, JA significant moderated the mediating effect of BL on CP via SO. When JA is high, the negative mediating effect of SO is weaker; when JA is low, the negative mediating effect of SO is stronger. This study extends the creativity literature by exploring the mediating process between BL and CP.

Keywords: job autonomy, psychological safety, benevolent leadership, obedience, creative performance