IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bpj/econoa/v19y2025i1p16n1005.html

The Mediating Role of Psychological Safety in the Relationship Between Paradoxical Leadership and Organizational Citizenship Behavior

Author

Listed:
  • Sürücü Lütfi

    (Department of Business Administration, Altınbaş Cyprus University, Nicosia, Mersin 10, Turkey)

  • Bekmezci Mustafa

    (Department of Defense Management, Turkish Military Academy, National Defense University, Ankara, Turkey)

  • Dilek Hakan

    (Department of Business, Başkent University, Ankara, Turkey)

Abstract

Leadership theories have been discussed in two different ways: the “light side” and the “dark side” of leadership. However, instead of exhibiting one of the two opposite behaviors, leaders can exhibit both of these behaviors at the same time. Although this is a paradoxical approach, paradoxes are inherent in the world and organizations. Paradoxical leadership (PL) requires using two opposing behaviors simultaneously to address both organizational structure and individual needs in an organization. While PL is known to influence employees’ proactive behaviors, its impact on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) has not yet been explored. This study examines the relationship between PL and OCB, focusing on the mediating role of psychological safety (PS) in this dynamic. Data were gathered from a sample of 302 employees in the manufacturing industry, selected using a convenience sampling method. The analysis revealed that PL positively affects OCB, and PS plays a mediating role in this relationship.

Suggested Citation

  • Sürücü Lütfi & Bekmezci Mustafa & Dilek Hakan, 2025. "The Mediating Role of Psychological Safety in the Relationship Between Paradoxical Leadership and Organizational Citizenship Behavior," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 19(1), pages 1-16.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:econoa:v:19:y:2025:i:1:p:16:n:1005
    DOI: 10.1515/econ-2025-0175
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1515/econ-2025-0175
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1515/econ-2025-0175?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sheng-min Liu & Jian-qiao Liao & Hongguo Wei, 2015. "Authentic Leadership and Whistleblowing: Mediating Roles of Psychological Safety and Personal Identification," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 131(1), pages 107-119, September.
    2. Yunfeng Sun & Hao Yang & Xiang Wu & Yifeng Jiang & Chongyang Qian, 2022. "How Safety Climate Impacts Safety Voice—Investigating the Mediating Role of Psychological Safety from a Social Cognitive Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-17, September.
    3. Olivier Boiral & Pascal Paillé, 2012. "Organizational Citizenship Behaviour for the Environment: Measurement and Validation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 109(4), pages 431-445, September.
    4. Silu Chen & Yu Zhang & Lili Liang & Tao Shen, 2021. "Does Paradoxical Leadership Facilitate Leaders’ Task Performance? A Perspective of Self-Regulation Theory," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-16, March.
    5. Déprez, Guillaume R. M. & Battistelli, Adalgisa & Vandenberghe, Christian, 2024. "Linking proactive behavior and constructive deviance to affective commitment and turnover intention: the mediating role of idea championing," Journal of Management & Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 30(4), pages 817-839, July.
    6. Bekmezci, Mustafa & Sürücü, Lütfi, 2025. "Determination of validity, reliability and sample size in qualitative research," OSF Preprints 52jbm_v1, Center for Open Science.
    7. Muluken Ayalew Worku & Kenenisa Lemi Debela, 2024. "A systematic literature review on organizational citizenship behavior: conceptualization, antecedents, and future research directions," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(1), pages 2350804-235, December.
    8. John J. Sumanth & Sean T. Hannah & Kenneth C. Herbst & Ronald L. Thompson, 2024. "Generating the Moral Agency to Report Peers’ Counterproductive Work Behavior in Normal and Extreme Contexts: The Generative Roles of Ethical Leadership, Moral Potency, and Psychological Safety," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 195(3), pages 653-680, December.
    9. Ying Xue & Xiyuan Li & Hao Liang & Yuan Li, 2020. "How Does Paradoxical Leadership Affect Employees’ Voice Behaviors in Workplace? A Leader-Member Exchange Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-24, February.
    10. Gaim, Medhanie, 2018. "On the emergence and management of paradoxical tensions: The case of architectural firms," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 497-518.
    11. Zhang, Yan & Han, Yu-Lan, 2019. "Paradoxical leader behavior in long-term corporate development: Antecedents and consequences," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 42-54.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fathia Ardiza & Lenny C. Nawangsari & Ahmad H. Sutawidjaya, 2021. "The Influence of Green Performance Appraisal and Green Compensation to Improve Employee Performance through OCBE," International Review of Management and Marketing, Econjournals, vol. 11(4), pages 13-22.
    2. DaYeon Choi & Insuk Lee & SangHoon Kang & HyunKue Lee, 2024. "The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility Attribution on Socially Responsible Behaviors: The Mediating Role of Meaningfulness of Work," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-17, December.
    3. Talat Islam & Saima Ahmad & Ishfaq Ahmed, 2023. "Linking environment specific servant leadership with organizational environmental citizenship behavior: the roles of CSR and attachment anxiety," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 855-879, April.
    4. Weijiao Ye & Ziqiang Li, 2024. "The Impact of Socially Responsible Human Resource Management on Employees’ Environmental Citizenship Behavior: The Role of Psychological Safety and Contingent Reward Leadership," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(2), pages 21582440241, May.
    5. Shuang Ren & Guiyao Tang & Susan Jackson, 2018. "Green human resource management research in emergence: A review and future directions," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 35(3), pages 769-803, September.
    6. Artinger, Florian M. & Marx-Fleck, Stefanie & Junker, Nina M. & Gigerenzer, Gerd & Artinger, Sabrina & van Dick, Rolf, 2025. "Coping with uncertainty: The interaction of psychological safety and authentic leadership in their effects on defensive decision making," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    7. Pascal Paillé & Yang Chen & Olivier Boiral & Jiafei Jin, 2014. "The Impact of Human Resource Management on Environmental Performance: An Employee-Level Study," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 121(3), pages 451-466, May.
    8. Valeria D’Amato & Rita D’Ecclesia & Susanna Levantesi, 2021. "Fundamental ratios as predictors of ESG scores: a machine learning approach," Decisions in Economics and Finance, Springer;Associazione per la Matematica, vol. 44(2), pages 1087-1110, December.
    9. Karen Dwumah & Peter Sappor & Francis Atta Sarpong, 2025. "Navigating the Green Path: Strategies for Enhancing Organizational Citizenship Behavior for the Environment Through Green HRM Practices," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(3), pages 3045-3061, March.
    10. Jing Yang & Chuangang Shen & Cuiling Jiang & Peixu He, 2023. "Abusive Supervision and Employee Knowledge Sharing: The Roles of Psychological Safety and Perceived Motivational Climate," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(1), pages 21582440231, February.
    11. Saskia Crucke & Marie Servaes & Tom Kluijtmans & Shana Mertens & Eveline Schollaert, 2022. "Linking environmentally‐specific transformational leadership and employees' green advocacy: The influence of leadership integrity," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(2), pages 406-420, March.
    12. Khutso Mankgele & Olawale Fatoki, 2024. "Green empowering leadership and organisational citizenship behaviour toward the environment of employees in hospitality firms in South Africa," International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy (2687-2293), Bussecon International Academy, vol. 6(5), pages 57-67, October.
    13. WINARNO Alex & HERMANA Deni, 2025. "The Impact of Green Ethical Leadership on Employees' Ecological Behavior and Individual Environmental Performance," Foundations of Management, Sciendo, vol. 17(1), pages 215-230.
    14. Jol Stoffers & Beatrice van der Heijden & Ilse Schrijver, 2019. "Towards a Sustainable Model of Innovative Work Behaviors’ Enhancement: The Mediating Role of Employability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-25, December.
    15. S. Weaver & Pam Ellen & Lars Mathiassen, 2015. "Contextualist Inquiry into Organizational Citizenship: Promoting Recycling Across Heterogeneous Organizational Actors," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 129(2), pages 413-428, June.
    16. Wojcik, Adrian Dominik & Glińska-Neweś, Aldona & Jurgiel, Dominika & Milfont, Taciano L & Brzustewicz, Paweł & Glinka, Beta & Łuka, Alicja & Szostek, Dawid, 2024. "The Green Six: Towards a Parsimonious Measure of Green Workplace Behavior," SocArXiv wknhs, Center for Open Science.
    17. Yang Chen & Yanxia Wang & Fang Lee Cooke & Lin Lin & Pascal Paillé & Olivier Boiral, 2023. "Is abusive supervision harmful to organizational environmental performance? Evidence from China," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(2), pages 689-712, April.
    18. Bilal Afsar & Waheed Ali Umrani, 2020. "Corporate social responsibility and pro‐environmental behavior at workplace: The role of moral reflectiveness, coworker advocacy, and environmental commitment," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(1), pages 109-125, January.
    19. Katarzyna Gadomska‐Lila & Agata Sudolska & Justyna Łapińska, 2025. "Green Proactivity in the Workplace: Organizational Drivers and Enablers," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(8), pages 9652-9671, December.
    20. Yuechao Du & Minghao Yan, 2022. "Green Transformational Leadership and Employees’ Taking Charge Behavior: The Mediating Role of Personal Initiative and the Moderating Role of Green Organizational Identity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-16, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • M12 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Personnel Management; Executives; Executive Compensation
    • M19 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Other
    • M54 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Labor Management

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bpj:econoa:v:19:y:2025:i:1:p:16:n:1005. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.degruyterbrill.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.