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Dual-level transformational leadership and team information elaboration: The mediating role of relationship conflict and moderating role of middle way thinking

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Abstract

Transformational leadership studies identify a dual-level model comprising group-focused and individual-focused transformational leadership. In this study, a relational perspective is used to develop a moderated mediation model linking dual-level transformational leadership to within-team information elaboration. Data collected from 100 teams in 32 Chinese high-technology firms reveal that group-focused transformational leadership increases information elaboration, while differentiated individual-focused transformational leadership decreases information elaboration. Team relationship conflict mediates the effects. Furthermore, middle-way thinking as a culture-specific Chinese thinking style moderates the indirect effects. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Alfred Wong (Senior Editor) and two anonymous reviewers for constructive feedbacks. This research was supported in part by the Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC 71272109; 71332002; 71502094; 71632005) and by Program for Innovative Research Team of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.

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  1. School of International Business Administration, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Yangpu, Shanghai, China

    Yahua Cai

  2. School of Business, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

    Liangding Jia & Juexing Li

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Cai, Y., Jia, L. & Li, J. Dual-level transformational leadership and team information elaboration: The mediating role of relationship conflict and moderating role of middle way thinking. Asia Pac J Manag 34, 399–421 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10490-016-9492-x

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