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Paradoxical Leadership and Team Vitality: A Sequential Mediation Model of Collective Team Identification and Team Authenticity

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  • Ying Zhao

    (Philosophy and Social Sciences Laboratory of the Ministry of Education: Intelligent Decision-Making Laboratory for Logistics and Transportation, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
    School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
    School of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China)

  • Zhengyang Qin

    (School of Mathematics and Statistics, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China)

  • Oliver McCallum

    (Renison University College, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada)

  • Zhaoyu Wang

    (College of Engineering and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China)

  • Wenbing Wu

    (Philosophy and Social Sciences Laboratory of the Ministry of Education: Intelligent Decision-Making Laboratory for Logistics and Transportation, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
    School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China)

Abstract

Drawing on Social Identity Theory and Self-Determination Theory, this study investigates whether paradoxical leadership is positively associated with team vitality—a core indicator of collective well-being—through an affective pathway of collective team identification and team authenticity. Using a three-wave design with temporal separation between predictor and outcomes, data were collected from 106 work teams comprising 424 employees in high-technology sectors. Results from serial mediation analysis suggest that paradoxical leadership is positively associated with collective team identification, which in turn relates positively to team authenticity and subsequently team vitality. The serial indirect effect was supported (bootstrap 95% CI excluded zero), whereas the direct effect was non-significant in the presence of the mediators. By exploring this affective mechanism, the study offers a preliminary account of how paradoxical leadership may be positively associated with shared positive affective experiences at the team level, offering practical insights for sustaining collective energy and thriving in complex, knowledge-intensive organizational environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Ying Zhao & Zhengyang Qin & Oliver McCallum & Zhaoyu Wang & Wenbing Wu, 2026. "Paradoxical Leadership and Team Vitality: A Sequential Mediation Model of Collective Team Identification and Team Authenticity," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-23, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:16:y:2026:i:8:p:363-:d:2000940
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