Exploring the Role of Shared Leadership on Job Performance in IT Industries: Testing the Moderated Mediation Model

Abstract

Shared leadership, unlike the traditional perspective, is characterized by the fact that organizational members constitute the source of its leadership. In fact, there is a lack of research on how shared leadership improves performance among small- and medium-sized enterprises in China. In particular, in the Chinese organizational context with a strong collectivist culture, sharing and cooperation among organizational members can have a great positive impact on the sustainability of small- and medium-sized enterprises. Therefore, this study focused on shared leadership on job performance, unlike traditional leadership. According to the research background, it showed the need for research on the link between shared leadership and job performance and presented the moderated mediation effect of self-efficacy in the Chinese organizational context. In order to verify our purpose, a survey was conducted with 320 employees from small- and medium-sized IT enterprises in China. The results indicated that shared leadership positively influenced job performance via psychological stability. Additionally, the moderated mediation effect of self-efficacy was significant. Based on these results, this study suggested ways to improve job performance, verified related research models, and presented future research directions for job performance enhancement. Overall, this research contributed to expanding the research field of shared leadership via its role and influence in various industrial fields.