Supervisor–subordinate guanxi: Linking benevolent leadership to employee creativity

Abstract

Theoretical and empirical work has identified a relationship between benevolent leadership and employee creativity. However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain to be confirmed. This study examined the link between benevolent leadership and employee creativity by focusing on the mediating role of supervisor–subordinate guanxi. The study sample comprised 228 subordinates and their 136 supervisors from eight knowledge-intensive enterprises in China. Structural equation modeling was used for the data analysis. The results showed that benevolent leadership was positively connected with employee creativity, and supervisor–subordinate guanxi partially mediated this positive relationship. The study findings might be useful for organizations in the context of utilizing benevolent leadership roles for facilitating creative behavior among employees.