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 middlelevel 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.