Mechanisms linking leaders' constructive deviance with their work engagement: A triple mediation model

Abstract

Leaders' constructive deviance (LCD) is a crucial strategy for addressing challenges in the digital economy. While existing research has primarily focused on its impact on employees, the effects on leaders themselves remain unclear. We adopted a leader-centric perspective to investigate how LCD influences leaders' work engagement. Grounded in self-determination theory, this study examined the mediating roles of three psychological needs: work autonomy (autonomy need), managerial self-efficacy (competence need), and affective commitment (relatedness need). Data from a two-wave survey of 182 leader–employee dyads revealed that managerial self-efficacy and affective commitment significantly mediated the relationship between LCD and leader engagement, whereas work autonomy did not have a significant mediating effect. These findings expand understanding of how LCD influences leaders and offer practical insights for enhancing leaders' adaptive capabilities in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.