The potential threat of ambidextrous leadership to employee innovation: The roles of cognitive ambivalence and paradox mindset

This study adopts a cost-based perspective to systematically investigate whether, how, and when ambidextrous leadership inhibits employee innovation. Drawing on social information processing theory and paradox theory, we developed and empirically tested a moderated mediation model examining the mediating role of cognitive ambivalence in the inhibitory effect of ambidextrous leadership on employee innovation, as well as the moderating influence of the paradox mindset. Using a time-lagged design, data were collected from 347 employees across three time points and analyzed with polynomial regression and response surface methodology. The results indicate that ambidextrous leadership, characterized by a balance of opening and closing behaviors, can hinder employee innovation by increasing cognitive ambivalence, with this adverse effect being more pronounced among employees with a lower paradox mindset. This study advances the literature on ambidextrous leadership by uncovering its potential drawbacks and underlying psychological mechanisms, while identifying boundary conditions that shape this relationship. The findings offer valuable insights for future research and provide practical guidance for organizations aiming to mitigate the dark side of ambidextrous leadership and enhance its positive impact.