How Paradoxical Leaders Influence Team Creativity in Ambidextrous Environment: The Role of Group Harmony

Abstract

Paradoxical perspective regards the seemingly opposite two sides as a harmonious whole, which sheds light on combining diversity and harmony to explore the antecedents of creativity. Therefore, an emerging line of research begins to integrate the paradoxical perspective into creativity literature. Drawing on yin-yang paradoxical perspective and social information processing theory, we develop and test the influence of paradoxical leader behavior (PLB)— leaders’ seemingly opposing yet interrelated behavior that aims to meet competing demands in workplace—on team creativity through group harmony. Across analysis of multisource and time-lagged data of 224 teams with 541 employees, 224 leaders and 19 regional managers in study1 and 94 teams data with 94 leaders and 222 team members of entrepreneurship teams in China in study 2, we find that PLB is positively related to group harmony, which in turn contribute to team creativity. Moreover, ambidextrous environment (i.e., dynamic and competitive environment) moderates the indirect relationship between PLB and team creativity through group harmony. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.