The role of Yin-Yang leadership and cosmopolitan followership in fostering employee commitment in China: a paradox perspective

Lee, Hyun-Jung and Reade, Carol (2018) The role of Yin-Yang leadership and cosmopolitan followership in fostering employee commitment in China: a paradox perspective. Cross Cultural and Strategic Management, 25 (2). pp. 276-298. ISSN 2059-5794

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Abstract

Purpose – Utilizing a paradox perspective, this paper investigates the leadership-followership dynamic in foreign firms in China, specifically, the extent to which Yin-Yang leadership behaviors of Japanese expatriates and cosmopolitanism of Chinese employees influence employee commitment. Design/methodology/approach – Data was collected through an online survey of Chinese employees who directly report to a Japanese supervisor in a Japanese subsidiary in China. Based on responses from 97 Chinese employees in three Japanese subsidiaries in China, we test if their cosmopolitan orientation and perceived Yin-Yang leadership behaviors of Japanese supervisors are related to employee commitment. Findings - Yin-Yang leadership and cosmopolitan followership have a positive effect on employee commitment. Further, cosmopolitanism moderates the link between Yin-Yang leadership and employee commitment such that the follower's cosmopolitanism compensates for lower levels of Yin-Yang leadership, especially a relative lack of Yin leadership behaviors. Research limitations/implications- Results suggest that Yin-Yang leadership and cosmopolitan followership work together as a two-way street of cultural adaptability to build employee commitment, highlighting the interplay between leadership and followership in multinational enterprises. Future research should attempt to further refine the Yin-Yang leadership construct, and to gain a larger sample representing multiple expatriate nationalities to corroborate the relationships found in this study.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://www.emeraldinsight.com/loi/ccsm
Additional Information:	© 2018 Emerald Publishing Limited
Divisions:	Management
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management
Date Deposited:	21 Mar 2018 09:23
Last Modified:	18 Apr 2024 07:33
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/87321

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