The effect of differential leadership on employees’ thriving at work in China: a moderated mediating model

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test the mediating role of perceived insider status (PIS) on the relationship between differential leadership and thriving at work, and the extent to which this mediating role is moderated by proactive personality.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducts a questionnaire with 332 employees from China, taking certain traditional cultural factors and social exchange theory into consideration. This paper then analyzes the responses using a structuring equation model with SPSS 24.0 and LISREL 8.7.

Findings

The results show that PIS mediated the relationship between differential leadership and thriving at work. In addition, proactive personality was found to moderate this mediating pathway, whereby a high proactive personality increased the mediating role of perceived insider status.

Originality/value

This study explores how and why differential leadership is positively related to thriving at work. This paper verifies the moderated mediation model relationship among the research variables and contributes to the literature on differential leadership.

Citation

Zhang, C., Zha, D., Yang, G. and Wang, F. (2022), "The effect of differential leadership on employees’ thriving at work in China: a moderated mediating model", Chinese Management Studies, Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 45-61. https://doi.org/10.1108/CMS-02-2020-0044