双元领导的双刃剑效应——基于认知紧张与工作活力双路径

The Double-edge Sword Effects of Ambidextrous Leadership——An Integrated Model of Two Approaches Based on Cognitive Strain and Vitality at Work

基于认知情感的个性系统理论(CAPS理论),本研究对双元领导影响员工任务绩效的认知和情感作用机制及边界条件进行探讨。采用Bootstrap法,对278份员工数据进行统计分析,研究结果发现:双元领导一方面通过提升员工认知紧张水平,降低员工任务绩效;另一方面也会增强员工工作活力,导致员工任务绩效的增加。进一步地,双元领导通过认知紧张和工作活力两条路径对员工任务绩效产生的总体间接效应为正。此外,中国人传统性不仅显著调节双元领导与工作活力之间的关系,还显著调节双元领导通过员工工作活力影响员工任务绩效的间接作用,即中国人传统性水平越低,员工工作活力在双元领导与员工任务绩效间的间接作用越强,反之越弱。然而,中国人传统性对双元领导与认知紧张之间的关系不具有调节效应。本研究在中国组织情境下拓展了双元领导的作用机制及边界条件的研究,并为企业管理者有效运用双元领导风格提供实践指导。

Ambidextrous leadership refers to leaders who solve conflicts and tensions with paradox thinking. Although abundant studies have demonstrated the positive impact of ambidextrous leadership on employees’ behaviors and performance,the negative consequences of ambidextrous leadership have been neglected. Based on the cognitive-affective system theory of personality( CAPS),the present paper aims to explore the process and boundary condition of how ambidextrous leadership influences employees’ task performance from both the cognition and affective perspectives. Specifically,we investigate the mediating roles of employees’ cognitive strain and vitality at work in the ambidextrous leadership-task performance association. Employing a two-wave questionnaire survey,278 valid data are obtained from full-time employees of enterprises located in Shanghai,Beijing,Gansu,and Henan. Consistent with hypotheses,the analysis results based on bootstrapping method show that:( 1) there is a significant multiple indirect effect of employees’ cognitive strain and vitality at work in the mechanism of how ambidextrous leadership influences employees’ task performance;( 2) with respect to the affective process,ambidextrous leadership could enhance employees’ vitality at work and consequently task performance;( 3) with respect to the cognition process,ambidextrous leadership increases employees’ cognitive strain,which in turn diminishes employees’ task performance;( 4) the total indirect effect of ambidextrous leadership on employees’ task performance via cognition path( cognitive strain) and affective path( vitality at work) is significant and positive;( 5) Chinese traditionality not only moderates the relationship between ambidextrous leadership and employees’ vitality at work,but also moderates the indirect effect of ambidextrous leadership on employees’ task performance( via vitality at work),such that the relationship is stronger under low Chinese traditionality than under high. However,Chinese traditionality has no moderating effect on the ambidextrous leadership-employees’ cognitive strain association. With these findings,the present study extends the research concerning the effects of ambidextrous leadership,further clarifies the process and boundary condition under which the ambidextrous leadership affects task performance,and offers practical implications for organizations to utilize ambidextrous leadership flexibly and effectively.