The trickle-down effect of leader mindfulness on employee creative deviance behavior: A moderated mediation model

Applying social learning theory and the trickle-down effect, in this study we built a cross-level research model to explore how high-level leader mindfulness stimulates employee creative deviance behavior via the mediating effect of middle-level leader mindfulness. Using data obtained from 345 employees and 81 of their leaders in manufacturing research and development enterprises in China, our results showed that high-level leader mindfulness had a significantly positive effect on middle-level leader mindfulness. Middle-level leader mindfulness, in turn, positively affected employee creative deviance behavior and mediated the relationship between high-level leader mindfulness and employee creative deviance behavior. Further, leader–member exchange positively moderated the relationship between high-level leader mindfulness and middle-level leader mindfulness, and also moderated the indirect effect of high-level leader mindfulness on employee creative deviance through middle-level leader mindfulness. The study findings will help organizations to understand how leader mindfulness affects employees’ creative deviance behavior and also provide practical enlightenment for enterprise innovation management.