A Study On The Effects Of Differential Leadership On Employee Zhengchong And Innovative Behavior In Family Firms

Family firms have long existed as a major form of business organization and are an important force in promoting economic and social development.In the increasingly competitive market environment,the key for family firms to pass on their ancestral business and seek sustainable development is to keep pace with the times to improve their innovation ability.So,how family firm leaders accumulate staff cohesion and stimulate their innovative behavior becomes a key issue they need to address urgently.Leadership is an essential factor in achieving group and organizational goals,and the leadership style influences and guides the choice of employees’ behavior and has a significant impact on the survival and development of the company.In family firms,the dominance of the system and family logic can lead to the creation of a humanistic leadership style,which is characterized by a disordered leadership style,while employees may display a series of “zhengchong” behaviors to compete for the resources held by the leader,thus demonstrating different levels of innovation.The study of differential leadership triggering employee zhengchong behavior is still in its initial stage.Meanwhile,clarifying the mechanism of differential leadership in employees’ zhengchong and innovative behavior is of great theoretical and practical significance to promote the sustainable development of family firms in China.The main contents of this study are as follows:(1)A game analysis of employee zhengchong behavior under differential leadership.From a complex network perspective,a complex network evolutionary game model is constructed to explore the influence of differential leadership on the choice of employee zhengchong strategies in family firms;(2)Clarifying the concept of employee zhengchong in family firms and developing a measurement tool.Based on the qualitative research method of the grounded theory,this thesis analyzes the in-depth interviews of human resource directors,general/vice managers and junior employees in family firms by coding,explores the concept of employee zhengchong behavior in family firms,constructs a conceptual model of employee zhengchong behavior in family firms,and tests the conceptual model using exploratory factor analysis and validation factor analysis;(3)Constructing a role model of differential leadership on employee innovative behavior,the thesis introduces employee zhengchong behavior as a mediating variable,considers the moderating effect of the supervisor-subordinate relationship identification,formulates corresponding research hypotheses,selects appropriate measurement instruments,and designs statistical analysis processes and procedures.(4)Conducting model tests.Based on research hypotheses,questionnaires were designed,sample was selected and data were collected.Statistical analysis of the sample data was carried out,the reliability and validity of variable were tested,common method deviation tests were carried out,descriptive statistics were conducted and finally,the full model was validated.(5)Suggestions for countermeasures.The findings of the thesis are as follows:(1)The simulation results of the game analysis of the differential leadership causing the employee zhengchong behavior show that the degree of partiality of differential leadership has a certain influence on employee zhengchong behavior,a moderate partiality of the leader will effectively promote the employee zhengchong behavior.(2)Employee zhengchong behavior is a complex construct,which includes both positive and negative behavioral characteristics.A four-dimensional structure of employee zhengchong behavior was developed,in which the positive zhengchong behavior includes showing abilities,collaborating and sharing,while the negative zhengchong behavior includes excluding outsiders,and ingratiating upward.(3)There is a “double-edged sword” effect of differential leadership on employee innovative behavior.The empirical study found that differential leadership significantly affects employee zhengchong behavior;employee zhengchong behavior significantly affects employee innovation behavior,of which the dimensions of showing abilities,collaborating and sharing and ingratiating upward in employee zhengchong behavior are significantly positively related to the employee innovative behavior,and the dimension of excluding outsiders is significantly negatively related.Differential leadership can promote employee innovative behavior by stimulating employees to showing abilities,collaborating and sharing,and excluding outsiders will inhibit employee innovative behavior.The supervisor-subordinate relationship identification plays a moderating role in the way differential leaders motivate employee zhengchong behavior.The emotional superior-subordinate relationship identification reinforces the positive influence of differential leadership on employees to show abilities,collaborate and share,and ingratiate upward,while the instrumental superiorsubordinate relationship identification reinforces the positive influence of differential leadership on employees to show abilities and to exclude outsiders.(4)Suggestions for optimising differential leadership effectiveness and promoting innovative employee behavior: First,enhancing the differential thinking ability and developing the differential behavioral skills of leaders.Second,promoting positive employee zhengchong behavior and suppressing negative employee zhengchong behavior.Third,cultivating employees with high emotional and low instrumental superior-subordinate relationships.