Research on the Impact of Digital Leadership on Employees' Innovative Performance from the Perspective of Conservation of Resources Theory

Abstract

Against the background of digital transformation, the impact of digital leadership on employees' innovative performance is mixed, with both benefits and drawbacks, and existing research still lacks consensus on this. Based on the conservation of resources theory, this study constructs and tests a competitive dual-path model, with creative self-efficacy and threat perception as dual mediators, to systematically examine the double-edged sword effect of digital leadership on employees' innovative performance. Empirical analysis of 201 questionnaire data shows: digital leadership positively drives employees' innovative performance by enhancing creative self-efficacy, and at the same time negatively inhibits employees' innovative performance by strengthening threat perception, with both paths holding at the same time. Besides, job autonomy plays a significant moderating role in the above relationships. High job autonomy enhances the positive effect of digital leadership on creative self-efficacy, and at the same time weakens the impact of digital leadership on threat perception. The research results reveal the complex mechanism through which digital leadership affects employees' innovative performance, and provide implications and references for theoretical deepening and management practice.