Influence of positive leadership on team creativity in SMEs: Chain mediation research based on psychological safety in the team and entrepreneurial passion

Jing Lan () and Krisada Chienwattanasook ()

International Journal of Innovative Research and Scientific Studies, 2025, vol. 8, issue 3, 4283-4292

Abstract: This study examines the role of positive leadership in fostering team creativity in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in China, focusing on the mediating mechanisms of team psychological safety and team entrepreneurial passion as dynamic internal factors linking leadership behaviors to creative team outcomes. Data were collected from 604 team leaders from different SME sectors and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that positive leadership has both direct and indirect effects on team creativity, with psychological safety and entrepreneurial passion serving as important mediators that foster trust, intrinsic motivation, and emotional energy conducive to innovation. This study makes a theoretical contribution by proposing a novel integrative framework that links positive leadership to creative behavior via psychological and emotional team dynamics and offers practical insights for SME leaders seeking to foster a culture of sustainable innovation under resource constraints and rapidly evolving business conditions.

Keywords: Positive leadership; Team creativity; Team entrepreneurial passion; Team psychological safety. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://ijirss.com/index.php/ijirss/article/view/7503/1598 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aac:ijirss:v:8:y:2025:i:3:p:4283-4292:id:7503

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of Innovative Research and Scientific Studies is currently edited by Natalie Jean

More articles in International Journal of Innovative Research and Scientific Studies from Innovative Research Publishing
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Natalie Jean ().