Fürstenberg, Nils and Booth, Jonathan Edward 
ORCID: 0000-0002-8563-4613
(2023)
How paradoxical leader behavior benefits team performance: the role of team mental models.
Academy of Management Proceedings, 2023 (1).
ISSN 2151-6561
Abstract
In this paper, we explore how leaders’ paradoxical leader behavior (PLB) shapes their team members’ mental models and, ultimately, team performance. Specifically, we hypothesize that PLB, which entails contrasting behaviors aimed at fostering cohesion and conformity on the one hand, and empowerment and flexibility on the other hand, positively influences two seemingly opposing, yet ultimately complementary socio-cognitive processes in teams: team members’ mental model convergence and mental model adaptation. In line with paradox theory, we argue that both processes are needed to achieve peak performance: We hypothesize a positive interaction between team mental model convergence and mental model adaptation on team performance captured via customer satisfaction ratings. Results from latent moderated structural equation modeling of multi-wave and multi-source data supported these hypotheses. PLB was positively associated with both team mental model convergence and mental model adaptation. We also found evidence for a positive interaction effect between these variables, such that team mental model convergence was only positively associated when team mental model adaptation was higher. In turn, the effect of PLB on team performance was mediated via this interactive effect. We discuss the implications for the leadership, team, and mental model literature as well as the practical implications for organizations.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Official URL: | https://journals.aom.org/journal/amproc |
| Additional Information: | © 2023 Academy of Management |
| Divisions: | Management |
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management |
| Date Deposited: | 26 Apr 2024 13:18 |
| Last Modified: | 01 Nov 2024 06:06 |
| URI: | http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/122812 |
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