Positive effects of leader perceived overqualification on team creativity

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1041.2024.00326

Abstract

Abstract:

Previous research has primarily focused on the negative aspects of perceived overqualification, with relatively little attention directed towards the phenomenon of leader overqualification. This research combines self-regulation theory and the process-based theory of team creative synthesis to examine when and how overqualified leaders enhance team creativity. Based on multi-wave and multi-source survey data from 106 nursing teams, the results indicated that leader perceptions of team capability moderated the indirect effect of leader overqualification on team creativity through leader encouragement of creativity and team creative process engagement. When team capability was high, the serial mediation effect of leader overqualification on team creativity through leader encouragement of creativity and team creative process engagement was stronger. By focusing on the phenomenon of leader overqualification, this research reveals the boundary conditions and processes through which it positively influences team creativity, providing new perspectives and avenues for overqualification research.

Key words: perceived overqualification, team creativity, team capability, leader encouragement of creativity, creative process engagement

WANG Yating, CHEN Zhijun, LI Rui, ZHOU Mingjian. (2024). Positive effects of leader perceived overqualification on team creativity. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 56(3), 326-338.

Figures/Tables 6

References 75

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Model		χ²	df	CFI	TLI	RMSEA	SRMR_within	SRMR_between
Model 1	Seven-factor model	604.41	319	0.98	0.98	0.03	0.01	0.07
Model 2	Six-factor model 1	943.06	325	0.96	0.95	0.05	0.01	0.10
Model 3	Six-factor model 2	1385.15	325	0.92	0.91	0.06	0.01	0.15
Model 4	Six-factor model 3	3832.63	327	0.75	0.71	0.11	0.16	0.14
Model 5	Five-factor model 1	1690.70	330	0.90	0.89	0.07	0.01	0.17
Model 6	Five-factor model 2	4906.97	332	0.67	0.63	0.13	0.16	0.19
Model 7	Five-factor model 3	4088.78	332	0.73	0.69	0.12	0.16	0.16
Model 8	Four-factor model	4883.75	336	0.68	0.63	0.13	0.16	0.20

Model		χ²	df	CFI	TLI	RMSEA	SRMR_within	SRMR_between
Model 1	Seven-factor model	604.41	319	0.98	0.98	0.03	0.01	0.07
Model 2	Six-factor model 1	943.06	325	0.96	0.95	0.05	0.01	0.10
Model 3	Six-factor model 2	1385.15	325	0.92	0.91	0.06	0.01	0.15
Model 4	Six-factor model 3	3832.63	327	0.75	0.71	0.11	0.16	0.14
Model 5	Five-factor model 1	1690.70	330	0.90	0.89	0.07	0.01	0.17
Model 6	Five-factor model 2	4906.97	332	0.67	0.63	0.13	0.16	0.19
Model 7	Five-factor model 3	4088.78	332	0.73	0.69	0.12	0.16	0.16
Model 8	Four-factor model	4883.75	336	0.68	0.63	0.13	0.16	0.20

Variable		M	SD	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
1	Leader overqualification	3.28	1.07
2	Leader perception of team capability	5.71	0.88	?0.31^**
3	Leader encouragement of creativity	4.94	0.52	0.22^*	0.17
4	Team creative process engagement	4.67	0.40	0.19	0.06	0.56^**
5	Team creativity	5.44	0.99	?0.10	0.50^**	0.23^*	0.30^**
6	Psychological entitlement	2.88	1.23	0.14	?0.14	?0.06	0.02	?0.02
7	Abusive supervision	3.35	0.52	?0.11	?0.03	?0.60^**	?0.32^**	?0.05	?0.00
8	Team average age	34.12	4.10	0.25^**	?0.09	0.03	?0.05	?0.02	0.11	?0.13
9	Team average education	3.78	0.25	?0.05	?0.02	0.26^**	0.15	0.06	0.13	?0.36^**
10	Team size	10.40	4.67	?0.07	?0.11	0.31^**	0.22^*	0.03	?0.03	?0.23^*
11	Leader’s work tenure	28.27	4.85	?0.00	0.03	0.11	?0.06	0.01	?0.09	?0.22^*

Variable		M	SD	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
1	Leader overqualification	3.28	1.07
2	Leader perception of team capability	5.71	0.88	?0.31^**
3	Leader encouragement of creativity	4.94	0.52	0.22^*	0.17
4	Team creative process engagement	4.67	0.40	0.19	0.06	0.56^**
5	Team creativity	5.44	0.99	?0.10	0.50^**	0.23^*	0.30^**
6	Psychological entitlement	2.88	1.23	0.14	?0.14	?0.06	0.02	?0.02
7	Abusive supervision	3.35	0.52	?0.11	?0.03	?0.60^**	?0.32^**	?0.05	?0.00
8	Team average age	34.12	4.10	0.25^**	?0.09	0.03	?0.05	?0.02	0.11	?0.13
9	Team average education	3.78	0.25	?0.05	?0.02	0.26^**	0.15	0.06	0.13	?0.36^**
10	Team size	10.40	4.67	?0.07	?0.11	0.31^**	0.22^*	0.03	?0.03	?0.23^*
11	Leader’s work tenure	28.27	4.85	?0.00	0.03	0.11	?0.06	0.01	?0.09	?0.22^*

Variable	Leader encouragement of creativity		Team creative process engagement		Team creativity
Variable	Model 1		Model 2	Model 3	Model 4	Model 5	Model 6
Leader overqualification	0.20(0.04)^***	0.10(0.02)^***		0.04(0.02)	0.06(0.07)	?0.01(0.07)	?0.04(0.06)
Leader perception of team capability	0.15(0.03)^***	0.05(0.06)		0.00(0.06)	0.54(0.06)^***	0.49(0.08)^***	0.49(0.06)^***
Leader overqualification × leader perception of team capability	0.09(0.02)^***	0.06(0.01)^***		0.03(0.02)	?0.11(0.07)	?0.14(0.08)	?0.16(0.07)^*
Leader encouragement of creativity				0.38(0.15)^*		0.41(0.26)	0.13(0.16)
Team creative process engagement							0.75(0.03)^***
Psychological entitlement	?0.03(0.03)	0.01(0.03)		0.01(0.03)	0.02(0.08)	0.03(0.08)	0.02(0.07)
Abusive supervision		?0.19(0.07)^**		?0.01(0.11)	?0.01(0.09)	0.19(0.15)	0.19(0.11)
Team average age	?0.00(0.01)	?0.01(0.00)^*		?0.01(0.01)	0.00(0.01)	0.00(0.01)	0.01(0.01)
Team average education	0.39(0.21)	0.05(0.12)		0.02(0.12)	0.29(0.23)	0.25(0.21)	0.24(0.25)
Team size	0.04(0.01)^***	0.02(0.01)		0.01(0.01)	0.01(0.02)	0.00(0.02)	?0.00(0.02)
Leader’s work tenure	0.00(0.00)	?0.01(0.01)		?0.01(0.01)	?0.00(0.02)	0.00(0.02)	0.01(0.02)
R²	0.34^***	0.22^**		0.34^***	0.29^***	0.31^***	0.37^***
ΔR²	0.34	0.22		0.12	0.29	0.03	0.06