The Double-Edged Sword Effect of Paradoxical Leadership to Organizational Citizenship Behavior

Abstract

Purpose

Drawing on social exchange theory and attribution theory, this study aims to explore the influencing mechanism of paradoxical leadership on organizational citizenship behavior.

Participants and Methods

According to the research purpose, this study selects enterprises in the manufacturing, financial and high-tech industries in Shandong Province as the research objects, and collects data on the leaders and employees of the human resources departments and marketing departments in the enterprises. Data were collected from 77 leaders and 473 employees in China by a two-wave questionnaire survey. Hierarchical regression analysis and structural equation model approach were employed to test hypotheses.

Results

This study found that perceived insider status and psychological entitlement play mediating roles about paradoxical leadership and organizational citizenship behavior; Collectivism moderates the relationship between paradoxical leadership and perceived insider status, and moderates the positive mediating role played by perceived insider status in the relationship of paradoxical leadership and organizational citizenship behavior; Leader-member exchange differentiation moderates the relationship about paradoxical leadership and psychological entitlement, and moderates negative mediating role played by psychological entitlement in the relationship of paradoxical leadership’s and organizational citizenship behavior.

Conclusion

The findings of this study offer guidance for managers to better undermine the negative effects of paradoxical leadership, and improve organizational citizenship behavior.

Innovations

First, this study extends the literature on paradoxical leadership by verifying the double-edged sword effect of paradoxical leadership to organizational citizenship behavior. Second, this study enriches one’s understanding of the “black box” underlying the link between paradoxical leadership and its consequences by demonstrating the mediating roles of perceived insider status and psychological entitlement. Third, by verifying the moderating roles of collectivism and leader-member exchange differentiation, this study provides insights into the boundary conditions of the impact of paradoxical leadership.

Keywords:

• paradoxical leadership
• organizational citizenship behavior
• perceived insider status
• psychological entitlement
• collectivism
• leader-member exchange differentiation

Data Sharing Statement

Data supporting the findings presented in the current study will be available from the corresponding author upon request.

Ethical Statement

This study was reviewed and approved by the Qilu University of Technology Ethics Committee. We declare that participants in our research study allow us to use their data for academic research and publication. All the participants were anonymous and their data was protected. All participants provided informed consent and this study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Statement

The study participants gave consent to have their data published.

Disclosure

This study has no conflict of interest.