DRIVING INNOVATION IN CHINA’S RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR: A DUAL-MEDIATION MODEL OF PLATFORM LEADERSHIP AND NEW-GENERATION EMPLOYEE BEHAVIOR
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14456/aisr.2025.47Keywords:
Platform Leadership, New-Generation Employees, Innovative Behavior, Dual-Mediation Model, Renewable Energy EnterprisesAbstract
Against the backdrop of China’s strategic transition toward carbon neutrality, this study investigates the mechanism linking platform leadership to the innovative behavior of new-generation employees within Yunnan’s renewable energy sector. Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory, the research employs a robust sequential explanatory mixed-methods design. Quantitative data from 564 valid leader-follower dyads were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and the PROCESS macro, establishing a dual-mediation model. The findings reveal that platform leadership exerts a significant direct positive effect on innovative behavior. Furthermore, creative self-efficacy and adaptive emotion regulation strategies serve as critical mediators in this relationship. Crucially, the organizational innovation climate functions as a positive moderator, amplifying the impact of leadership on these psychological pathways; a supportive climate significantly strengthens the indirect effect of leadership on innovation outcomes. Qualitative insights from 15 key stakeholders further validate these mechanisms. These results offer novel theoretical contributions to the cognitive-affective drivers of innovation and provide actionable strategies for energy enterprises to cultivate platform-based management, which is essential for sustaining Asia’s green development goals.
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