The impact of social face consciousness on taking-charge behavior of employees: The mediating effect of thriving at work, and the moderating effect of ethical leadership and general self-efficacy

Structural and contextual correlates of charged behavior in product development teams

Firms increasingly use cross‐functional teams to develop new products, yet we know little about the processes that make teams excel. Although studies have focused on within‐team processes like cooperation between and integration of individuals from various functional areas, some emerging literature suggests that the processes that make teams excel are richer and more complex than cooperation and integration. In order to capture the processes that lead to excellent market performance of new products, we introduce the concept of charged team behavior, the extent to which cross‐functional product development teams are enthusiastically and jointly driven to develop superior new products. Charged team behavior captures not only the drive, commitment, and joy of team members, but also their collaborative behaviors to achieve an exceptional outcome.We propose and test a series of hypotheses concerning how charged behavior affects new product market performance and how charged behavior is, in turn, influenced by both team structural characteristics (physical proximity, team longevity, and outcome interdependence) and contextual factors (senior management encouragement to take risk, quality orientation, exposure to customer input, extent of competition, and interdepartmental connectedness). It is particularly important to examine the antecedents of charged behavior because there are concerns that some of the team‐related factors generally considered to be useful for teams may not necessarily lead to charged teams.Data from new consumer product development teams is analyzed though structural equation modeling for hypothesis testing. We find evidence that highly charged teams are more likely to develop successful new products. Results also indicate that outcome interdependence, exposure to customer input, extent of competition, and interdepartmental connectedness are positively related to charged behavior. Physical proximity, team longevity, encouragement to take risk, and quality orientation do not improve teams' charged behavior. Data suggests that charged team behavior: 1) fully mediates the effects of outcome interdependence and interdepartmental connectedness on performance, 2) partially mediates the influence of exposure to customer input and the extent of competition on performance, and 3) does not mediate the effects of quality orientation and physical proximity on performance.Our study highlights the importance of creating highly charged product development teams in order to achieve exceptional performance. Further, our results indicate that some of the factors suggested by traditional social psychology research for enhancing team effectiveness (e.g., physical proximity and team longevity) may not necessarily create charged teams. Instead, charged teams need a special arrangement, in which members are accountable to the team and where their evaluations and rewards are also linked to the performance of the team. In addition, although a strong emphasis on quality is considered to be beneficial for new products, as our results indicate, such emphasis cannot create a charged atmosphere. Moreover, our research suggests that if the organization structure does not permit frequent contact between individuals across functional boundaries, the creation of a strongly charged team and development of a successful new product will be hindered.

To explore the influence of inclusive leadership on nurses' taking charge behaviour by examining the mediating role of psychological security and the moderating role of power distance, and to provide a reference for nursing management practice. Nursing is facing a stage of high-quality development, where improvements in nurses' taking charge behaviour can enhance the quality of nursing care, ensuring nursing safety. Inclusive leadership has been shown to promote the maintenance and formation of a dynamic and harmonious two-channel relationship system. However, there are relatively few studies on the effects of inclusive leadership on nurses' taking charge behaviour, and it is unclear whether inclusive leadership affects nurses' taking charge behaviour and the specific pathways of its effects, which are worth exploring in depth. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 532 nurses in five tertiary-level A public hospitals in Sichuan Province, China. Structural equation models and bootstrapping methods were utilized to examine the hypotheses. STROBE reporting guidelines were followed. Inclusive leadership positively influences nurses' taking charge behaviour (β = 0.46, p < 0.001). Inclusive leadership positively affects nurses' psychological security (β = 0.63, p < 0.001). Psychological security positively affects nurses' taking charge behaviour (β = 0.36, p < 0.001). The mediating effect value of psychological security between inclusive leadership and nurses' taking charge behaviour was 0.23, p < 0.001, 95% CI[0.14, 0.32]. The interaction effect of inclusive leadership and power distance reached statistical significance (β = -0.10, p < 0.05). Inclusive leadership has a positive effect on increasing nurses' taking charge behaviour. Strengthening nurses' psychological security and minimizing nurses' power distance can foster nurses' proactive change behaviours.

In a hierarchical or fixed-order regression analysis, the independent variables are entered into the regression equation in a prespecified order. Such an analysis is often performed when the extra amount of variance accounted for in a dependent variable by a specific independent variable is the main focus of interest (e.g., Cohen & Cohen, 1983). For example, in the area of reading achievement, there is a general interest in the specific abilities that predict reading development. Because these specific abilities are often correlated with more general abilities, such as verbal intelligence, the latter abilities are controlled for first (e.g., Wagner, Torgesen, & Rashotte, 1994). An additional reason for performing a hierarchical regression analysis is that, in these research applications, as well as in many others, the independent variables are often highly correlated. When correlated independent variables are included simultaneously in the regression model, multicollinearity arises (Cohen & Cohen, 1983). Though regularly used with observed variables, hierarchical regression analysis has not been performed with latent variables. In most applications of structural equation modeling (SEM), the latent predictors have been entered simultaneously into the regression model, although in several cases hierarchical regression analysis would have been the more appropriate approach (e.g., Guthrie et al., 1998; Normandeau & Guay, 1998; Wagner et al., 1994; Wagner et al., 1997). In this article we describe how a hierarchical regression analysis may be conducted in SEM. The main procedure proposed is to perform a Cholesky or triangular decomposition of the intercorrelations among the latent predictors (Harman, 1976; Loehlin, 1996). First the procedure is described and then an example of a hierarchical regression analysis with latent variables is given. Copyright © 1999, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

We explored the mediating role of work-related flow and the moderating role of empowering leadership in the relationship between employees’ learning goal orientation and taking charge behaviour. Chinese employees (n = 313; female =57.51%; mean age =32.26 years, SD = 6.83 years; mainly from manufacturing = 30.35% and IT = 23.32% industries) completed surveys at two time points. Structural equation modelling and path analysis results found employees’ learning goal orientation contributed to taking charge behaviour, and work-related flow partially mediated this relationship. When leadership was highly empowering, the relationship between employees’ learning goal orientation and work-related flow was stronger, leading to more taking charge behaviour. These study findings are consistent with the trait activation theory. Employer organisations should encourage empowering leadership and create an environment conducive to flow for employees with learning goal orientation, as this would promote their taking charge behaviours.

BackgroundThe study of the dark side of leadership is gaining growing interest, with negative leadership exerting a stronger influence on employees than positive leadership. Considering the importance of employees’ proactive behaviors for organizational innovation and long-term growth, investigating whether exploitative leadership—a representative form of negative leadership—impacts such behaviors is a meaningful research question.PurposeThis study aims to explore the impact of exploitative leadership on subordinates’ taking charge behavior, as well as the mediating role of subordinates’ organizational identification and the moderating role of traditionality.MethodsWe conducted a two-phase survey using convenience sampling across various industries in China, collecting cross-sectional data from 348 employees. A structural equation model with latent variables was used to test all hypotheses.ResultsThis study found that exploitative leadership negatively affects taking charge behavior, and organizational identification mediates the relationship between exploitative leadership and taking charge behavior. Furthermore, traditionality weakens the negative impact of exploitative leadership on organizational identification, as well as the indirect relationship between exploitative leadership and taking charge behavior through organizational identification. In other words, subordinates with high traditionality are more likely to adhere to authority, mitigating the adverse effects of exploitative leadership.Conclusions and valueThis study applies social identity theory to explore the negative impact of exploitative leadership on taking charge behavior, revealing the internal mechanisms and boundary conditions of this relationship, thus filling a gap in the literature on exploitative leadership. We also provide practical recommendations for organizations to mitigate the harmful effects of exploitative leadership and enhance the governance of leaders’ exploitative behaviors.

Purpose Against the backdrop of growing interest in exotic cuisine and heightened concerns over the safety of imported cold chain food in the post-pandemic era, this study explores the purchase intentions and influencing factors of Chinese consumers toward traceable imported cold chain food. Design/methodology/approach The study collected 150 open-ended questionnaires and 273 valid structured questionnaires through an online survey. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). Findings The SEM results indicate that subjective norms, product information search behavior, perceived safety, consumer trust, and behavioral attitude significantly and positively influence purchase intention. Consumer trust mediates the relationship between perceived safety and purchase intention, while behavioral attitude mediates the relationships between perceived safety and purchase intention, as well as between subjective norms and purchase intention. The fsQCA analysis identified multiple configurations of conditions affecting purchase intention, corroborating the SEM findings and highlighting the complex interplay among variables. Originality/value By integrating SEM and fsQCA, this study offers a multidimensional perspective on the complexity of consumer purchase intentions in the post-pandemic era. It not only extends the application of the Theory of Planned Behavior but also provides actionable insights for optimizing food safety management and market strategies.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to compare and integrate leader-member exchange (LMX) and leader identification (LID) as concurrently functioning mediators between three leadership styles (individual-focused transformational, contingent reward, and benevolent paternalistic) and two citizenship behaviors (helping and taking charge).Design/methodology/approachData included 395 stable, independent leader-follower dyads from numerous Chinese organizations. Partial least squares structural equation modeling and relative weight analysis were used in data analyses.FindingsIn established, steady-state leader-member alliances, LMX was the dominant explanation between various leadership styles and helping; whereas LID explained leadership effects on taking charge. Three-stage indirect effects of leadership-LMX-LID-taking charge were found. Also, LMX and LID related to the three focal leadership styles in distinct ways.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations include cross-sectional data. Strengths include a large, multi-source field sample. Implications include that LMX and LID provide different prosocial motivations; LMX indirectly engenders stronger other-orientation through LID; and the nature of indirect leadership effects via LID is more sensitive to the nature of the focal leadership styles. LMX and LID together provide a package of prosocial motivations.Practical implicationsLeaders interested in increasing employees’ helping vs taking charge behaviors can be more effective by understanding the different motivational potentials of LMX vs LID. Leaders also need to choose appropriate behavioral styles when they activate LMX vis-à-vis LID.Originality/valueThis study integrates multiple leadership theories to provide a nuanced account of how social exchange and self-concept explain leadership at the interpersonal level when leadership styles, LMX, and LID are stable.

In this era of constant change, how to motivate employees to innovate work methods, improve work efficiency, and promote the sustainable development of enterprises has become a hot topic for managers. Drawing on social cognitive theory, this study examines how employees' perception of relative leader-member exchange (RLMX) drives taking-charge behavior through the perspective of self-perception. We further investigate the mediating role of perceived insider status and the moderating roles of social comparison orientation and role-breadth self-efficacy, thereby clarifying the underlying mechanisms linking RLMX to taking-charge behavior. Using cross-sectional data from 381 employees across diverse industries in China, we test our moderated-mediation model with hierarchical regression analyses. The results show that: RLMX is positively related to taking charge behavior, perceived insider status plays a partial mediating role between RLMX and taking charge behavior, social comparison orientation moderates the impact of RLMX on perceived insider status, and role breadth self-efficacy moderates the relationship between perceived insider status and taking charge behavior. The study provides fresh empirical insights into the mechanisms linking RLMX to taking charge behavior from perspective of self-perception and suggests practical implications for enhancing employees' taking charge behavior.

Mental health has become a pressing issue in higher education, with university students increasingly vulnerable to stress, anxiety, and reduced academic engagement. While self-regulation and general self-efficacy are recognized as key determinants of academic adjustment, the mechanisms linking these constructs remain underexplored. This study investigates the influence of self-regulation on general self-efficacy, emphasizing the mediating role of mental well-being among university students. A total of 380 valid responses were collected from undergraduate students in Pekanbaru, Indonesia, using validated scales for self-regulation, mental well-being, and general self-efficacy. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with AMOS 26 was employed to test the hypothesized relationships. The findings reveal that self-regulation significantly predicts both mental well-being and general self-efficacy. Furthermore, mental well-being demonstrates a positive and significant mediating effect on the relationship between self-regulation and general self-efficacy. These results underscore the importance of mental well-being as a psychological resource that strengthens the pathway between self-regulatory competence and efficacy beliefs. Theoretically, this study extends self-regulated learning models by integrating mental health as a mediating construct, while practically, it highlights the need for higher education institutions to design interventions that foster both self-regulatory skills and psychological well-being. By positioning mental well-being as both an outcome of self-regulation and a driver of self-efficacy, the study provides actionable insights for enhancing student resilience and academic success, particularly in the post-pandemic era

This study offers a comprehensive investigation of mediation analysis in Structural Equation Modelling, highlighting its theoretical basics, statistical practices, and real-world applications. It differentiates mediation from moderation, explaining how mediation helps in understanding indirect relationships between latent variables. Various proposed mediation models, including simple mediation, multiple mediation, and moderated mediation, are discussed in detail. The study also analyses statistical methods such as the Causal Steps Approach (Baron &amp; Kenny, 1986), the Product-of-Coefficients Method (Sobel Test), Bootstrapping, the Bayesian Estimation Method, and Monte Carlo Simulation, each with its respective advantages and limitations. Additionally, advanced Structural Equation Modelling techniques, such as multigroup mediation, longitudinal mediation, and latent variable mediation, are examined to address complex research scenarios. Employing a literature review-based methodology, the study synthesizes existing knowledge on best practices for estimating mediation effects using Structural Equation Modelling. Software tools like AMOS, Mplus, LISREL, and SmartPLS are discussed in the context of model specification, estimation, and evaluation. Real-world applications in business, psychology, human resource management, and marketing are illustrated, including customer trust mediating the relationship between service quality and purchase intention, employee engagement mediating the effect of transformational leadership on job performance, and social media engagement mediating brand trust and purchase intention. Key findings highlight bootstrapping as a better method for estimating indirect effects due to its non-reliance on normality of the data assumptions and Bayesian SEM as a robust substitute for handling small sample sizes and incorporating preceding knowledge. The study also discusses crucial challenges such as measurement error, model misspecification, the need for longitudinal data to establish causal inference, and comparisons between Structural Equation Modelling-based mediation and regression-based mediation using the PROCESS macro. By presenting a structured framework for mediation analysis in Structural Equation Modelling, this current study contributes to advancing causal modelling methods across various disciplines and provides directions for future research.

Drawing on conservation of resources theory, this study aims to explore the mediating role of employees' strengths use and the moderating role of employees' ambitions in the relationship between empowering leadership and employees' taking charge behaviors. A total of 333 Chinese employees from various organizations across China (including industries such as manufacturing, IT, and education) completed our survey at two time points, with a two-week lag. We used structural equation modeling and moderated mediation path analysis to test our hypotheses. The research revealed that strengths use partially mediated the relationship between empowering leadership and employees' taking charge behaviors, and ambition positively moderated the relationship between empowering leadership and strengths use, as well as the indirect relationship between empowering leadership and employees' taking charge behaviors through strengths use. It extends the application field of strengths use, providing a new theoretical perspective on behavioral mechanisms for understanding the empowering leadership-employees' taking charge behaviors relationship, and offers valuable strategies for organizations and leaders to promote employees' taking charge behaviors more effectively.

BackgroundThough, many countries are currently in the COVID post-pandemic era, people’s health protective behaviours are still essential to protect their health and well-being. This study aims to evaluate people’s understanding and perceptions of COVID-19 risk characteristics (i.e. threat occurrence, threat severity, perceived susceptibility and exposure), the health risk perception towards COVID-19, and health protective behaviours. The study also aims to estimate the associations among these factors by the analysis of structural equation modelling (SEM).MethodsFrom 15 October to 9 November 2022, questionnaire surveys were administrated to 521 people living in Bangkok of Thailand by using the convenience sampling technique. The analyses were carried out in three phases including descriptive statistical analyses, a measurement model assessment using a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis.ResultsThe results of descriptive analyses demonstrated that the majority of respondents, 39.9%, had the age between 20 and 30 years old, and 61.4% of them were female. Approximately 52.1% of them had a bachelor’s degree. Upon analysing individuals’ understanding and perceptions of all risk characteristics, individuals’ understanding of COVID-19 severity did not statistically affect health risk perception towards COVID-19, whereas perceived exposure had the strongest effect and in turn influenced health protective behaviours. Perceived susceptibility and understanding of the threat occurrence also significantly affected health risk perception, and indirectly affected health protective behaviours.ConclusionsThis study implies that though the potential health impact of COVID-19 is perceived as less severe, people can still construct a perception of its risk particularly based on their perceived exposure and susceptibility. Thus, communicating people about exposure conditions and susceptibility can greatly contribute to people’ construction of risk perception towards COVID-19 which subsequently leads to the decision to perform health protective behaviours.

This study aims to examine and analyze the effect of transformational leadership and non-physical work environment on turnover intention through job satisfaction as an intervening variable at PT Saba Pratama. The method used in this research is descriptive analysis method with a quantitative approach, namely research with quantitative data which is then processed and analyzed for conclusions. The number of samples in this study was 115 employees. This research uses saturated sample technique. Data collection methods in this study were carried out in several ways including questionnaire method, observation and interview methods. Data analysis techniques are in accordance with the research pattern and the variables to be studied. In this study used structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis which is a multivariate analysis. SEM is a statistical model that seeks to explain the relationship between many variables. To do SEM analysis, the tools or software used in this study are used SmartPLS. The results show that transformational leadership has a negative and significant influence on turnover intention. Non-physical work environment has a negative and significant influence on turnover intention. Transformational leadership has a positive and significant influence on job satisfaction. Non-physical work environment has a positive and significant influence on job satisfaction. Job satisfaction has a negative and significant influence on turnover intention

This project examined how the synthesis of general and realm specific self-efficacy is related to life functioning. In two studies 760 participants provided information on their levels of general self-efficacy, specific self-efficacy in the realms of positive affect, sleep, exercise and study, and quality of functioning in these realms. Higher general self-efficacy was significantly associated with realm specific self-efficacy across the realms of positive affect, sleep, study, and exercise. Both higher general self-efficacy and higher realm-specific self efficacy were associated with positive affect, quality of sleep and study skills. Realm-specific self-efficacy mediated the relationships between general self-efficacy and functioning in the realms of positive affect, sleep, and study. Structural equation modeling indicated paths from general self-efficacy to latent variables comprised of realm-specific self-efficacy. Different types of realm-specific self-efficacy together contributed to explaining variance in general self-efficacy. The results provide support for a hierarchical model of self-efficacy. The findings provide a platform for future longitudinal research and experimental intervention research examining the causal inter-relationships of general self-efficacy, realm-specific self-efficacy, and functioning.