The Influence of Mindful Leadership Perception and Employee Awareness on Proactive Work Behavior: Based on Affective Events Theory
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60027/iarj.2026.e292168Keywords:
Conscious Leadership, Self-awareness, Team Mindfulness, Organizational Commitment, Proactive Work BehaviorAbstract
Background and Aims: In the fast-paced and high-pressure landscape of entrepreneurship, employee proactivity is essential for innovation and resilience. Traditional leadership approaches often fail to foster sustainable engagement. Guided by Affective Events Theory, this study explores how employees’ perception of conscious leadership influences proactive work behavior, focusing on the mediating roles of self-awareness, team mindfulness perception, and organizational commitment.
Methodology: A quantitative, cross-sectional design was adopted. Data were collected from 420 employees in technology-based entrepreneurial firms in China using validated instruments. Reliability values for all constructs exceeded 0.84. Data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling, with bootstrapped mediation testing.
Results: Conscious leadership perception positively predicted self-awareness, team mindfulness perception, and both affective and continuance commitment. These factors, in turn, significantly influenced proactive work behavior. Mediation analysis confirmed that awareness and commitment jointly mediated the leadership–behavior relationship, with affective commitment emerging as a stronger predictor.
Conclusion: This study extends Affective Events Theory by demonstrating how conscious leadership, as an emotionally salient workplace event, fosters awareness and commitment, thereby enhancing proactive work behavior. Practical implications include leadership development programs that emphasize mindfulness and strategies for building employee awareness and affective commitment to sustain innovation and adaptability.
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