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Leader feedback and knowledge sharing: A regulatory focus theory perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 December 2014

Guiquan Li ,
Haixin Liu ,
Yufan Shang  and
Youmin Xi
Guiquan Li*
Affiliation:
Business School, Nankai University, Tianjin, China Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
Haixin Liu
Affiliation:
School of Management, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
Yufan Shang
Affiliation:
School of Management, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
Youmin Xi
Affiliation:
School of Management, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
*
Corresponding author: ricky.liguiquan@gmail.com
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Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of leader feedback on followers’ knowledge-sharing behavior through a regulatory focus theory perspective. Data were collected through an experiment with 129 college students. Results showed that compared with leader’s prevention feedback style and negative feedback valence, promotion style and positive feedback valence inspire employee knowledge-sharing behavior better. These two positive relationships are mediated by promotion situational regulatory focus. The negative relationship between prevention leader feedback style and knowledge sharing is mediated by prevention situational regulatory focus, while negative leader feedback valence has its negative effect on knowledge sharing directly.

Keywords

leader feedbackknowledge sharingregulatory focushierarchical regression analysis
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 20 , Issue 6 , November 2014 , pp. 749 - 763
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2014 

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