Purpose: Based on trait activation theory, this study validates the boundary effect of perceived organizational support (POS) on employee empowerment (EE) to sustain employee’s taking charge behaviour (TCB). It hypothesizes that EE has a strongly significant and positive relationship with TCB when POS is high. Methodology: The authors selected a time-lagged cross-sectional study and collected data from two sources in manufacturing firms in China where 290 team members and 56 supervisors participated in the survey. In a questionnaire, team members self-reported employee empowerment, taking charge behaviour, and perceived organizational support, whereas supervisors rated employees’ taking charge behaviour at individual-level to avoid common method bias. In addition, for meeting the study objectives statistically, we used SPSS-Process Macro for hypotheses testing. Findings: The study findings were significant, in which employee empowerment demonstrated positive relationship with TCB under the boundary condition of POS but under low POS. This empirical result endorses that employee empowerment accelerated by perceptions of low organizational support demonstrates a positive impact on the development of taking charge behaviour. Practical Implications: Receivers’ reactions to organizational support are not constantly positive; sometimes, they might feel vulnerable or incapable, and sometimes “overhelped”. Our study outcomes extend these streams of work by concentrating on support from the organization and authenticating an exclusive outline associating employee empowerment with perceived organizational support on employee’s taking charge behaviour- specifically organizations might, rather counterintuitively, attain greater levels of empowered employee’s taking charge behaviour by delivering less is more-oriented organizational support programs. More specifically, it is not always high, but sometimes low POS performs as a resilient situational factor or contextual moderator that is capable of activating and encouraging employee empowerment on their taking charge behaviour. Originality/Value: This study highlights the importance of taking charge as trait-relevant behaviour by empowered employees (a trait in our case) and organizational support as a trait-relevant cue for sustainable performance in the manufacturing industry of China.

Purpose: Sustainable development research assumes that startups, under extreme financial constraints, cannot sacrifice resources now for benefits later without risking their survival. Furthermore, their non-compliance with environmental regulations adds fuel to the fire. This paper aims to explore the challenges faced by startups in resource-scarce economies and the innovative ways of coping with these challenges. Design/methodology/approach: The data for the study was collected through 17 semi-structured interviews taken from startup owners and industry experts based in Pakistan and Bangladesh. The transcribed data were coded through NVivo 12 and themes were generated by merging 47 open and 14 axial codes. Findings: The findings show that a lack of government support and lack of organisational readiness and motivation significantly affect startups’ frugal eco-innovation. Empirical evidence reveals problems related to the business ecosystem, and internal organisational issues also contribute to challenges faced by startups in attaining a competitive position in the industry. Research limitations/implications: The study’s findings suggested leveraging dynamic capabilities can help lean startups in frugal eco-innovation. Furthermore, organisational cohesion, business ecosystem, government regulations and assistantship, organisational mismanagement and market realisation are decisive in startups’ competitive position in emerging economies. Practical implications: The findings of the study will result in a higher adoption rate of more competitive business models, and hence, startups’ sustainability. The results would be an effective and efficient deployment of sustainable technological solutions, creating more customer and shareholder value leading to economic growth. Originality/value: This research offers a comprehensive analysis of frugal eco-innovative startups by exploring the interplay between different challenges and organisational capabilities. Furthermore, the study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by providing empirical evidence that eco-innovation can be conducted in a resource-constrained environment. This study challenged the scholarly and managerial assumption of the availability of finances as a significant player in eco-innovation. The study also links the Darwin theory of startups to a competitive edge over rivals for startups’ survival.

Research findings concerning the effects of perceived overqualification on task performance are mixed. To reconcile the disparate findings, drawing on person‐environment theory, we propose cynicism toward the job and constructive deviance as contrasting dual pathways that explain the negative and positive effects of perceived overqualification on task performance and employee creativity. We also examine the moderating effects of dual‐focused transformational leadership (TFL) on the relationships between perceived overqualification and the two mediating mechanisms. We test this model using data collected from 469 employees and their 135 supervisors via two‐wave surveys. The results support the negative and positive mediating mechanisms. In addition, based on one field study and two online experiments, we find that individual‐focused TFL mitigates the relationship between perceived overqualification and cynicism toward the job, but that team‐focused TFL enhances the relationship between perceived overqualification and constructive deviance.

Purpose: The primary objective of this study is to examine the nexus between transformational leadership (TL) and followers' radical creativity (FRC). In contrast, creative process engagement (CPE) and leader creativity expectation (LCE) was employed as a mediating and a moderator role, respectively.Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative exploratory survey was applied as a research design, and 293 valid responses were collected from industry-university collaborative team leaders-followers. The authors performed descriptive and partial least square based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis using the SPSS 23 and Smart-PLS 3.0 package program to test the hypothesis.Findings: Empirical results revealed that the TL positively and significantly influences the FRC. Therefore, the mediation of CPE bridges the relationship between TL and FRC, while the moderating role of LCE was insignificant. TL with higher CPE indirectly enhances the FRC.Research limitations/implications: Unlike the prior conventional componential theory of creativity (CTC), this study extends the scope of CTC addressing CPE and LCE to investigate the nexus between TL and FRC and contributes to the current literature leaders-followers relationship.Practical implications: Practically, this research contributes to the growing body of the literature demonstrating how organizations might foster radical creativity in their employees and how to inspire followers to participate in radical creativity activities that might enhance organizational performance.Originality/value: This study has broadened the scope of the CTC by emphasizing the mediating function of CPE in promoting particular aspects of followers' creativity.