Original Research

Strengths-based leadership and its impact on task performance: A preliminary study

He Ding, Enhai Yu, Yanbin Li
South African Journal of Business Management | Vol 51, No 1 | a1832 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajbm.v51i1.1832 | © 2020 He Ding, Enhai Yu, Yanbin Li | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 02 November 2019 | Published: 17 December 2020

About the author(s)

He Ding, Department of Economics and Management, Faculty of Business Management, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, China
Enhai Yu, Department of Economics and Management, Faculty of Business Management, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, China, China
Yanbin Li, Department of Economics and Management, Faculty of Business Management, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, China

Abstract

Purpose: The current article aims to develop and validate the strengths-based leadership (SBL) scale and to explore the association of SBL with task performance and the roles of work-related well-being (WWB) and work pressure in the relationship.

Design/methodology/approach: The exploratory factor and the confirmatory factor analyses were applied to assess the validity and reliability of the SBL scale. A total of 342 employees (female = 54.1%; mean age = 30.37 years, standard deviation [SD] = 5.90 years) from various Chinese enterprises were used to test the association of SBL with task performance.

Findings/results: The results revealed that the two-dimensional SBL scale shows appropriate validity and reliability, and SBL is positively correlated with task performance. In addition, we also found that WWB acts as a mediator in the SBL-task performance linkage, and work pressure can enhance the direct association of SBL with WWB and the indirect association of SBL with task performance via WWB.

Practical implication: Our findings have some significant managerial implications in promoting employees’ task performance and research on SBL provides a new insight into leadership development.

Originality/value: This article provides a useful tool to measure the SBL construct and is the first to empirically examine the effects of SBL.


Keywords

strengths-based leadership; task performance; work-related well-being; work pressure; preliminary study.

Metrics

Total abstract views: 7795
Total article views: 6472

 

Crossref Citations

1. Strengths-Based Leadership and Turnover Intention: The Roles of Felt Obligation for Constructive Change and Job Control
Xixi Chu, He Ding, Lihua Zhang, Zhuyi Angelina Li
Frontiers in Psychology  vol: 13  year: 2022  
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.786551