Equalize or differentiate? How leaders' relational choices steer employees toward proactive or expedient innovation.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of responsible leadership (RL) on voluntary workplace green behavior (VWGB) in Turkish small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), focusing on the mediating role of perceived insider status (PIS) and the moderating role of green work climate (GWC). Grounded in social exchange theory (SET) and supported by self-determination theory (SDT), this study explored how leadership behavior fosters sustainable workplace actions through both relational and motivational mechanisms. Design/methodology/approach The research model was empirically tested using survey data from 375 employees across Turkish SMEs. Structural equation modeling and bootstrapping procedures were employed to examine direct, indirect, and moderated relationships. Findings The results reveal that RL positively influences VWGB, both directly and through the mediating role of PIS. GWC significantly strengthened the relationship between RL and both PIS and VWGB. However, when GWC is high, the positive relationship between PIS and VWGB is reduced, suggesting that strong external expectations may crowd out intrinsic motivation in line with SDT. Originality/value This study advances the green workplace literature by integrating SET and SDT to explain how leadership, employee inclusion and the organizational climate interact to shape sustainability outcomes. The findings provide practical insights for SMEs seeking to cultivate inclusive and motivational environments that support voluntary green behavior.

This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of perceived insider status and organisational identification between authentic leadership and job embeddedness among Chinese nurses. Previous studies have explored the influence of authentic leadership on job embeddedness in the nursing profession. However, the chain-mediating effect of perceived insider status and organisational identification between authentic leadership and job embeddedness has not been clarified among nurses. A cross-sectional study. A structural equation model was utilised to examine the proposed hypothesis regarding job embeddedness in Chinese clinical nurses and to investigate potential mediating factors influencing nurses' job embeddedness. There were positive correlations among authentic leadership, perceived insider status, organisational identification, and job embeddedness. Moreover, authentic leadership exerted a noteworthy influence on job embeddedness through three significant indirect pathways: the separate mediating effect of perceived insider status and organisational identification, and the chain mediating effect of perceived insider status and organisational identification. Nursing managers aiming to enhance nurses' job embeddedness. Recognising the crucial role of perceived insider status and organisational identification as mediators between authentic leadership and job embeddedness, our findings suggest actionable strategies. Elevating authentic leadership creates a supportive environment, positively impacting nurses' commitment and reducing turnover. We would like to thank the clinical nurses from three hospitals in Wuhan who participated in the study and the hospital managers who supported this study. This study distributed survey links in the WeChat groups of three hospitals, and collected research data under the principle of ensuring anonymity and informed consent.

BackgroundGrassroots government employees of the Chinese government are crucial for realizing Chinese-style modernization. However, the mismatch between governance resources and demands causes high burnout among them, impacting work efficiency and effectiveness. This study, based on expectancy disconfirmation theory (EXT) and self-regulation theory (SRT), constructs a moderated mediation model to show how psychological contracts (PC), perceived insider status (PIS), and bianzhi affect the burnout.ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the nonlinear relationship between PC and burnout among Chinese grassroots government employees, and reveal the mediating role of PIS and the moderating role of bianzhi.MethodsA total of 527 Chinese government employees was used. Data were analyzed using the stepwise regression method, the MEDCURVE plugin and the PROCESS macro bootstrap approach.Findings and conclusionThe results illustrated that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between PC and burnout. PC has an inverted U-shaped mediating effect via PIS. Bianzhi moderates both of them, and the mediating effect of PIS is affected by it.ImplicationsThis research findings are supported by the relevant conclusions of EXT and SRT, providing evidence for theory development. It also comprehensively explains relationships among PC, PIS, bianzhi and burnout. This study provides theoretical support and practical references for alleviating burnout of grassroots government employees and optimizing human resource management in public sectors. It innovatively verifies the inverted U-shaped relationship between PC and burnout of grassroots government employees, clarifies the moderating mechanism of bianzhi differences on the mediating path, and enriches the research perspective of occupational health in public sectors.

The Dual Impact of Servant Leadership on Social Loafing: A Two-Wave Survey Study

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.

Objective: To explore the influence mechanism of inclusive leadership on the active change behavior of medical staff in public hospitals, to provide reference for hospitals to promote the active change of medical staff, and to open up new ideas for hospital management. Methods: A total of 420 medical workers from 5 public hospitals in Henan Province were selected by convenience sampling method. The inclusive leadership scale, leader-member exchange scale and active change behavior scale were used. Results: Inclusive leadership has a significant positive impact on medical staff 's proactive change behavior. Leader-member exchange relationship plays an intermediary role between inclusive leadership and medical staff 's proactive change behavior. Perceived insider status can not only positively regulate the relationship between inclusive leadership and leader-member exchange, but also strengthen the intermediary role of leader-member exchange between inclusive leadership and medical staff 's proactive change behavior. Conclusion: This study enriches the research of inclusive leadership in the field of hospital organization, and has certain enlightenment and practical significance for hospital managers to improve medical staff 's proactive change behavior.

Clinical practice environments are a major source of anxiety and stress, especially for nursing students who are experiencing their first clinical experience. Peer Mentoring reduces the stress associated with early clinical experiences and helps students overcome challenges by developing a sense of belonging and participation. The study aimed to assess the impact of peer support, delivered through a mobile orientation application, on nursing students’ clinical stress and sense of belonging during their clinical practice. The study was an experimental study with a control group and was conducted with a total of 89 s-year nursing students (43 experimental and 46 control) who were interning at a university hospital in Trabzon. Data were collected in October-December 2022 using the student information form, the student opinion form, the Perceived Stress Scale for Nursing Students, and the Perceived Insider Status Scale as pre-test and post-test. In the study, the HEMMEN mobile application was utilized for the experimental group, while the control group followed the routine method. There was no statistically significant difference between the pre-test scores of the experimental and control groups regarding the stress and belonging levels they perceived before the internship (p > 0.05). The post-test scores of the experimental group regarding the stress levels perceived after the internship were statistically higher than the control group (p < 0.05). The belonging levels perceived after the internship were evaluated, and no statistically significant difference was found between the two groups (p > 0.05). Additionally, the experimental group reported satisfaction with the HEMMEN application, stating that it was easy to use, facilitated relationships in the clinic and that the peer counselors were understanding, supportive, and provided helpful feedback. The HEMMEN application effectively reduced the stress levels of nursing students and served as a valuable tool in enhancing their clinical experiences. Not applicable.

Purpose This study aims to ascertain the mechanism and boundary condition of the effect of leaders' negative emotions on employees' innovation performance in remote work. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China and 269 Chinese firms to evaluate the relationship among the constructs using hierarchical regression analysis and moderated mediation approach. Findings The results reveal that leaders' negative emotions negatively influence employees' innovation performance in remote work settings. Notably, employees' perceived insider status (EPIS) fully mediates this negative relationship. Additionally, the regional digitalization level slightly moderates the positive effect of EPIS on employees' innovation performance and positively moderates the negative impact of leaders' negative emotions on employees' innovation performance via EPIS. Originality/value This study advances emotion research from the perspective of leader-employee interaction and provides strategies for enhancing employees' innovation performance in remote work scenarios.

Teacher innovation is critical for fostering student creativity, enhancing school effectiveness, and advancing national talent strategies. Grounded in the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions and social information processing theory, this study develops a moderated mediation model to explore the motivational mechanisms underlying teachers’ innovative work behavior. Using survey data from 508 teachers in mainland China, the analysis reveals that teacher well-being positively influences innovative work behavior, and this relationship is mediated by perceived insider status. Furthermore, principal authentic leadership enhances the impact of perceived insider status on innovation and strengthens the indirect effect of well-being through this mediator. These findings underscore the importance of both emotional pathways and contextual signals in shaping teacher innovation, offering theoretical contributions to education leadership and teacher work behavior research while providing practical implications for creating supportive and innovation-conducive school environments.

Abstract Understanding the development of newcomers' job future ambiguity is crucial for their adjustment, especially as the workforce becomes increasingly mobile. Based on Masterson and Stamper's (2003) framework of perceived organizational membership, we examined whether newcomers' experience of psychological contract breach affected their perceived insider status, which in turn influenced their job future ambiguity. We tested our hypotheses using data from a three‐wave panel design, involving a sample of 126 recent college graduates in China who had just joined the workforce. Cross‐lagged mediation panel analysis indicated that psychological contract breach had a negative effect on subsequent perceived insider status and job future ambiguity, and perceived insider status acted as the underlying mechanism through which psychological contract breach partially influenced subsequent job future ambiguity. Our cross‐lagged reciprocal analyses further supported that psychological contract breach preceded job future ambiguity and perceived insider status rather than the other way around. Our study contributes to the literature by identifying two untested antecedents of job future ambiguity and providing the first formal empirical testing of the conceptual linkage between psychological contract breach and perceived insider status in the newcomer context. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Team-based perceived insider status: Exploring the drivers and outcomes of freelancers' sense of belonging to their project teams

Purpose Guided by the norm of reciprocity, we examined the relationship between perceived supervisor’s remorse and employee knowledge sharing behavior via the mediating role of employees' perceived insider status. We further investigated how leader-follower value congruence indirectly moderates the path between perceived supervisor remorse and knowledge sharing through employees' perceived insider status. Design/methodology/approach Three-wave (i.e. time-lagged) data were collected from full-time employees in service sector organizations. We used Mplus to examine the proposed model. Findings The results indicate a positive relationship between perceived supervisor remorse and employee knowledge sharing. Additionally, employees' perceived insider status mediates the relationship between perceived supervisor’s remorse and employee knowledge-sharing. The indirect relationship between perceived supervisor remorse and knowledge-sharing, mediated by employees' perceived insider status, depends on leader-follower value congruence. The mediated relationship is more pronounced when leader-follower value congruence is high. Originality/value This study examines how supervisors' remorseful behavior affects employees' perceptions of insider status and their willingness to share knowledge. By integrating the concept of a remorseful supervisor and applying the Norm of Reciprocity, it offers insights into how fostering a culture of acknowledgment and apology can positively influence knowledge-sharing behaviors.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the pay-for-performance scheme in enhancing emotional labor management in e-smile service, drawing on self-determination theory. The authors develop a moderated mediation model, with perceived insider status as the moderator and two performance indicators as the outcome variables. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected in two waves from 387 online customer service agents in China. Hypotheses were tested using path analysis conducted in Mplus 7.4. Findings The results indicate that pay-for-performance enhances both surface acting and deep acting in e-smile service. Surface acting positively impacts task performance, whereas deep acting enhances both task performance and proactive customer service performance. Furthermore, perceived insider status weakens the mediating effect of surface acting between pay-for-performance and task performance. Originality/value This study sheds light on how pay-for-performance influences surface acting and deep acting emotional labor strategies through the dual pathways of control and autonomy. It highlights the effectiveness of pay-for-performance in managing emotional labor and promoting performance in the online service context, offering fresh insights that contrast findings from traditional face-to-face service settings.

ABSTRACT Studies of leadership and knowledge sharing behaviour have focused mainly on leadership style, behaviour, and leader – member exchange, and neglected the importance of leader emotional expression. Based on self-concept theory and the gratitude setting literature, this study constructs a moderated mediation model linking leader gratitude expression (LGE) and knowledge sharing behaviour, and examines the mediating role of organization-based self-esteem (OBSE) and perceived insider status (PIS) and the moderating role of gratitude settings (public or private). Two studies, a scenario study (N = 131) and a three-wave survey study (N = 260), were used to test our hypotheses. The results showed that LGE was positively related to employee knowledge sharing behaviour, and that OBSE and PIS mediated the above relationship. Furthermore, the setting in which gratitude was expressed moderated the relationship between LGE and knowledge sharing behaviour through OBSE and PIS, such that publicly expressed leader gratitude amplified the mediation effect.

This study aims to analyze the influence of Compulsory Citizenship Behavior (CCB) on Employee Performance (EP) in the State Civil Apparatus at the West Sumatra High Prosecutor's Office, with Perceived Insider Status (PIS) as the mediating variable and Psychological Hardiness (PH) and Perceived Organizational Support (POS) as the moderation variables. This study uses a quantitative approach with a survey method through the distribution of questionnaires to 152 respondents who were selected using the stratified random sampling method. The data was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS). The results showed that CCB had a significant negative effect on EP, PIS mediated the relationship between CCB and EP, while PH and POS were proven to moderate the relationship between CCB and PIS. These findings support the Affective Events Theory (AET) and Social Exchange Theory (SET) theories which explain the role of psychological factors and organizational support in mitigating the negative impact of CCB. The practical implications of this study recommend that organizations minimize CCB through increasing PIS, strengthening PH, and optimizing POS to maintain employee performance.

This study investigates how transformational leadership fosters ambidextrous innovation in private higher education institutions through the sequential mediating roles of perceived insider status and intrapreneurial behaviour, with learning agility as a moderating variable. Drawing on the Resource-Based View, the study conceptualizes leadership, psychological inclusion, and employee proactivity as critical intangible resources in resource-constrained academic settings. Data were collected from 470 faculty and administrative staff across private universities and analysed using PROCESS Macro. The findings confirm that transformational leadership significantly enhances perceived insider status, which, in turn, promotes intrapreneurial behaviour leading to ambidextrous innovation. Learning agility was found to positively moderate the relationship between perceived insider status and intrapreneurial behaviour. All hypothesized relationships were supported, offering theoretical and practical insights for fostering bottom-up innovation in higher education. The study emphasizes the importance of human-centric leadership and personal adaptability in enabling innovation through employee-driven pathways in developing country contexts.

This study examines how cultural intelligence (CQ) promotes ambidextrous innovation (AIN) through a sequential mechanism involving cultural adaptation (CA), perceived insider status (PIS), and intrapreneurial behaviour (IBR). It also explores the moderating effects of perceived organizational support (POS) and antifragility (AF). Data were collected from 375 expatriate employees working in multinational companies in Pakistan and analysed using PROCESS Macro in SPSS. Results confirmed that CQ positively influences CA and CA influences PIS, which sequentially enhance IBR and ultimately lead to higher AIN. The mediating role of CA, PIS, and IBR was also significant in linking CQ to AIN. Furthermore, POS strengthened the effects of CQ on CA and PIS on IBR, while AF enhanced the IBR–AIN link. These findings provide theoretical and practical insights on how cross-cultural competence, workplace inclusion, and individual resilience can together foster innovation in global organizations.

Academic researchers are growing increasingly aware of the positive effects that idiosyncratic deals, or I-deals, can have on an individual's life; however, little is known about the possible impact that idiosyncratic deals may have on the effort and work outcomes of employees, especially female employees, a neglected and understudied group. It emphasizes the idea that although gender discrimination could be a part of a person's identity, it does not define their abilities or potential. Their unique talents and skills—such as creativity, problem-solving ability, discipline, empathy, or any other admirable quality—should be highlighted. People are pushing for a paradigm change, recognizing people more for their accomplishments and abilities than for their disabilities. This dispels stereotypes and promotes an inclusive workplace where everyone's contributions are respected. To investigate how worldwide consensuses may affect the perceived job skills of women employees by decreasing deviant behavior and, consequently, their sustainable career in the company, the current study applies the self-categorization theory. Furthermore, this study is the first of its type to examine the experiences of female workers. Data gathered from 240 individuals employed in service sectors, particularly in Pakistan's educational sector, is used to test our hypotheses. The findings indicate that I-deals foster the sustainable career development of women employees. The relationship between I-deals and sustainable career development is mediated by psychological safety and perceived insider status. Perceived organizational support increases the impact of I-deals on perceived insider status. Furthermore, this study shows how service sectors may make use of I-deals' special qualities to highlight the range of skills among their women employees and improve their psychological well-being at the same time. women employees are then empowered to boldly suggest novel concepts and approaches, which stimulates the production of innovation.

While the benefits of decent work-employment that respects fundamental human rights, ensures fair income, guarantees workplace security, and provides social protection for families-have recently gained scholarly attention regarding job satisfaction, psychological empowerment, and work engagement, its potential to enhance nurses' work ability-defined as the ability to carry out job responsibilities-remains unaddressed. Furthermore, a gap exists in understanding the mechanisms through which decent work influences its outcomes. We aimed to investigate: (1) if securing decent work is associated with elevated nurses' work ability, and (2) if perceived insider status and psychological well-being mediate the association between decent work and nurses' work ability. A cross-sectional study was conducted across four public hospitals in two regions of Egypt, utilizing a self-reported survey with validated instruments, including the Decent Work Scale, Perceived Insider Status Scale, Psychological Well-being Scale, and Work Ability-Personal Radar Scale. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation analyses, and structural equation modeling. A total of 204 nurses were involved in this study. Decent work was positively associated with nurses' work ability, and this association was fully mediated by perceived insider status and psychological well-being. Cultivating decent work conditions might enable healthcare administrators to enhance nurses' sense of insider status and psychological well-being, thereby potentially boosting their work ability.