批判性反思效应下领导教练行为对员工创新的影响机制研究

Research on the Mechanism of Leader Coaching Behavior on Employee Innovation under Critical Thinking Effect

批判性反思是当今管理界一个非常时髦的术语。领导教练行为作用机理是否显著的一项内容是审视领导教练如何激励下属去进行思考、采取新的认知态度和行为。领导教练行为被视为决定员工创新行为的重要前因变量,但尚未出现关于这种关系及作用机理的系统研究。本文采用282份领导—下属配对调查数据,基于情境互动理论和社会认知理论,构建并检验了一个被中介的调节效应模型。研究结果显示:(1)领导教练行为与员工创新行为显著正相关;(2)批判性反思在两者关系中起部分中介作用;(3)领导—成员交换在领导教练行为与批判性反思之间起调节作用;(4)领导—成员交换调节了批判性反思对领导教练行为—员工创新行为的中介作用。研究证明,被中介的调节效应模型解释了领导教练行为对员工创新的作用机理,不仅丰富和拓展了组织管理的相关研究范围,对员工创新管理实践也提了供有益的启示。

Given the severe environment with intense competition and unpredictable technology changes, increasing number of orga- nizations realize that leader coaching is a key element to help the organization to get competitive advantage and an important prereq- uisite for employees promote their innovation. Although existing research suggests leader coaching behavior ean help employee promote performance, the effect of leader coaching behavior on em- ployee innovation behavior did not give full explanation, the empir- ical studies show mixed results and this relationship has remained ambiguous and contested. To test the model, data were collected from 282 dyads of employees and their immediate leaders from 30 technological companies in Beijing, Changsha and Xian with the assistance of the human resource managers. Of 282 participants, 62.4% were male, 37.6% were female. From age structure to see, of 55.1% employees under the age of 30, it means that young people are in the majority. In term of the education, 69.4% have bachelors＇ degrees or lower degrees. The results show that： （1） leader coaching behavior is positively related to employees＇ innovation behavior; and （2） critical thinking partially mediates the relationship between leader coaching behavior and innovation behavior; （3） leader-mem- ber exchange moderates the relationship between leader coaching behavior and critical thinking, that is, the higher the leader-member exchange shows that the relationship is stronger; （4） leader-mem- ber exchange moderates the mediated relationship between leader coaching behavior and innovation behavior, in other words, critical thinking mediates the relationship between leader coaching behav- ior and innovation behavior only when the leader-member exchange is limited. Finally, our research indicates that the model of a mediat- ed moderation can better explain the mechanism of leader coaching behavior on employee innovation behavior, which not only enriches and extends the scope of related management, but also provides a beneficial enlightenment to the employee innovation management practices. These conclusions contribute to the literature in several ways. First, this research offers a new approach to the influence of leader coach- ing behavior by examining employee innovation behavior. Second, our results concerning the mediating effect of critical thinking on the relationship between leader coaching behavior and innovation behavior contribute to the integration of situational interaction theory and social cognitive theory. To sum up, this study deepens our understanding of leader coaching behavior by examining the mediating effect of critical thinking and moderating effect of lead- er-member exchange in one theoretical framework. However, the paper only examines the technology-based corporations in China, which represents the highest level of industrial development in our country. Therefore, cautions should be exercised in generalizing our findings to other industries.