Evaluating the role of organizational leadership approaches in managing task conflicts – program team creativity connection in social enterprises

Diana Ominde, Angela Ndunge and Nancy Njiraini

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 2026, vol. 75, issue 6, 2122-2140

Abstract: PurposeThe study examines organizational leadership approaches, focusing on transformational leadership in the management of task conflicts in program teams within social enterprises and their overall effect on the creativity of the team. It serves to estimate the impact that leadership can have on the relationship between task conflict and team creativity in the success or failure of a project.Design/methodology/approachThe quantitative research design was adopted, and survey data from the program teams of various social enterprises were used. To test the interrelationship between projects task conflict, team-oriented transformational leadership and team creativity, this study adopted the four-factor model using confirmatory factors. To strengthen the validity of the model, three control variables included team size, team age and department tenure.FindingsThe findings indicate that transformational leadership serves as a positive moderator in the interaction between project task conflict and team creativity. Whereas task conflicts may hurt team performance, effective leadership lessens this negative effect on fostering an environment where creativity can take place. Also, teams led by transformational leaders showed high levels of innovative problem-solving and collaboration, even in conflicting conditions.Originality/valueThe present research offers a new perspective in investigating social enterprises and specifically analyzing the hitherto neglected interrelationship between leadership, task-related conflict and creativity within program teams. It underlines the need to apply transformational leadership behavior within conflictive environments, especially in mission-driven organizations such as social enterprises, insofar as stimulation of creativity therein is central to sustainability and effectiveness.

Keywords: Transformational leadership; Task conflict; Team creativity; Social enterprises; Program teams; Approaches of leadership; Organizational conflict management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:ijppmp:ijppm-12-2024-0875

DOI: 10.1108/IJPPM-12-2024-0875

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