Inclusive Leadership and Pro-Social Rule Breaking: The Role of Psychological Safety, Leadership Identification and Leader-Member Exchange

This study explores the impact of inclusive leadership on employees’ pro-social rule breaking through the dual path of psychological safety and leadership identification, as well as the moderating role of leader-member exchange in the above paths. We used questionnaires to survey 303 employees at two time points. The results show that inclusive leadership has a significant positive impact on employees’ pro-social rule breaking, that psychological safety and leadership identification play mediating roles in this relationship, and that there is no significant difference between the mediating effects. Leader-member exchange moderates the indirect effect of inclusive leadership on pro-social rule breaking through psychological safety. That is, under a high level of leader-member exchange, inclusive leadership has a strong impact on psychological safety and pro-social rule breaking, but the moderating effect of inclusive leadership on employees’ pro-social rule breaking through leadership identification is not significant. This study provides guidance for improving the vitality of employees and promoting the development of enterprise rules.