Muhammad Khizar Hayat Naeem

Harbin Institute of Technolony, China

Title: Unlocking Team Creativity through Inclusive Leadership: The Roles of Relational Energy, Imprisoned Mindset, and Gender Dynamics

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Biography

Muhammad Khizar Hayat Naeem is a Ph.D. candidate at the School of Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, China, and is recognized for his prolific publications in national and international journals. Emphasizing his commitment to academic rigor, Mr. Naeem's research expertise lies in consumer behavior, travel, and tourism and gender studies; he employs SPSS, AMOS, and SmartPLS tools proficiently. He also reviews for prestigious publishing houses like Elsevier, Taylor & Francis, Sage Publications, and IGI Global. His dedication to qualitative and quantitative methodologies fuels his contributions to the field of consumer behavior, where he continues to make a significant impact in the research fraternity.

Abstract

Purpose- Addressing the pervasive issue of gender bias and its profound impact on leadership roles is not just vital—it is essential to promoting gender equality and creating an environment where both men and women thrive. Modern organizations, such as Apple, profoundly consider gender as not binary and believe in the power of gender equality. However, there is a gap in the puzzle of leadership science, and the underrepresentation of women’s advancement into leadership roles remains a significant issue. Using the componential theory of creativity (CTC) developed by Amabile as a foundation, the present study investigates how inclusive leadership (IL) instigates team-level creativity (TC), uncovering the pivotal roles of team relational energy (TRE) and team bottom-line mentality (TBLM) as parallel mediators. We further explore how team leader gender (TLG), as a dichotomous variable, acts as a boundary condition on the baseline association.

Methodology- We collected team-level multisource and multi-wave data through survey questionnaires, targeting 181 dyads in Pakistan. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesis. 

Findings- We predict that through team relational energy, inclusive leadership accelerates team creativity; in contrast, team bottom-line mentality negatively relates to the relationship between inclusive leadership and team creativity. We also find that male leaders tend to have a stronger culture of inclusivity and bottom-line mentality than female leaders. In contrast, female leaders are likely to foster interpersonal relationships among employees.

Originality/Value- This study contributes to leadership, gender, and innovation literature by demonstrating the indirect effect of inclusive leadership on team-level creativity through team relational energy and bottom-line mentality. It also highlights the moderating role of team leaders gender, offering insights into how male and female gender alter the relationship with main contructs, as well as in the relationship between team relational energy and bottom-line mentality with team creativity.