Leader–member participation! Shared leadership, organizational support and employee positive behaviors in higher educational institutions (HEIs)

Purpose This study examines the direct and indirect effects of shared leadership on job crafting and knowledge sharing, in turn, on employee performance, commitment and creativity via organizational support among Pakistani HEI faculty members. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on shared leadership theory, data from 311 faculty members were collected. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test the hypotheses. Findings The findings revealed a significant positive influence of shared leadership on job crafting and knowledge sharing among faculty members. Job crafting and knowledge sharing also significantly and positively influenced employee performance, commitment and creativity. Shared leadership includes support dynamics, so organizational support with shared leadership failed to influence job crafting and knowledge sharing. Practical implications Institutions promoting collaborative and innovative educational environments should consider strategies to nurture shared leadership practices, facilitate job crafting and bolster knowledge-sharing. Originality/value This study underscores the importance of fostering a shared leadership culture in HEIs, emphasizing the role of job crafting and knowledge sharing in employee performance, commitment and creativity.