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How and when employees’ boundary-spanning behavior improves their creative performance: A moderated mediation model

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 August 2023

Zheng Zhang Open the ORCID record for Zheng Zhang [Opens in a new window]  and
Ran Li Open the ORCID record for Ran Li [Opens in a new window]
Zheng Zhang
Affiliation:
Department of Management, Shanxi University of Finance and Economics, Taiyuan, China
Ran Li*
Affiliation:
Department of Management, Shanxi University of Finance and Economics, Taiyuan, China
*
Corresponding author: Ran Li; Email: veraliran@163.com
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Abstract

This article draws on status characteristics theory to explore the mechanisms of individual-level boundary-spanning behavior on employee creative performance, as well as the mediating role of informal status and the moderating role of Zhongyong thinking. The results of a two-wave questionnaire survey of 202 employees show that boundary-spanning behavior has a significant positive relationship with employees’ creative performance, informal status mediates the link between boundary-spanning behavior and creative performance of this employee, Zhongyong thinking plays a moderating role between employees’ boundary-spanning behavior and their informal status, and Zhongyong thinking also moderates the mediating role of informal status between boundary-spanning behavior and employee creative performance. In this paper, a moderated mediation model is established to enhance the understanding of the effects and mechanisms of individual boundary-spanning behavior, as well as to provide some constructive insight into how boundary-spanning behavior can be effectively employed in management practice within the Chinese context.

Keywords

boundary-spanning behaviorcreative performanceinformal statusZhongyong thinking
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 30 , Issue 4 , July 2024 , pp. 1153 - 1169
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press in association with the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management

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