How coaching leadership works: affective vs. cognitive mechanisms in Chinese internet SMEs

Introduction This study draws upon the cognitive-affective systems theory of personality to explore the dual-mediated mechanisms linking coaching leadership to employees' incremental innovation and job performance. Specifically, we investigated the mediating roles of psychological safety (as a cognitive factor) and group positive affect (as an emotional factor) within this process. Methods We collected data from 445 participants distributed across 92 startup teams in China and analyzed the data using multilevel analytical techniques. Results The analysis indicated that coaching leadership is positively associated with incremental innovation and group positive affect. Furthermore, the results revealed differentiated cognitive-affective pathways: group positive affect serves as a salient affective mechanism linking coaching leadership to employee outcomes, whereas psychological safety operates in a more context-dependent manner. Discussion These findings suggest that the influence of coaching leadership on cognitive and affective mechanisms varies across high-pressure organizational contexts. This highlights the importance of considering environmental and structural conditions when examining leadership processes to foster employee innovation and performance.