How and when inclusive leadership enhances team proactivity: the roles of collective thriving and team power distance

Purpose The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between team-level inclusive leadership perceptions, team thriving, and team proactivity as well as the moderating effect of team power distance on these relationships. Design/methodology/approach A two-wave survey study of 365 manufacturing employees comprising 85 teams in an organization in Eastern China was used to test the hypotheses. Findings The findings indicate that inclusive leadership stimulates collective thriving, which then promotes team proactivity. In addition, team power distance negatively moderates the relationship between inclusive leadership and collective thriving, as well as the indirect effect of inclusive leadership on team proactivity via collective thriving. Originality/value This study is one of the first to investigate the effects of inclusive leadership at the team level, and answers recent calls to investigate the mechanisms linking leadership-related constructs to team-level proactivity. The authors also identify an important boundary condition to the effects of inclusive leadership in team power distance.