Multilevel Influences of Team Social Media Usage on Creativity: the Moderating Effect of Knowledge Leadership

Based on knowledge management theory, this study proposes a multilevel model to examine the mediating mechanisms and boundary conditions of the impact of team social media usage (TSMU) on team creativity and on employee creativity. Hierarchical linear modelling analysis was conducted using time-lagged and multi-source research data collected from 431 employees within 57 work teams in China. The results indicate the following: (a) TSMU exerts a positive direct effect on team creativity and on employee creativity. (b) TSMU is positively correlated to team creativity via team knowledge utilisation and to employee creativity via employee information elaboration. (c) Knowledge leadership positively moderates the influence of TSMU on team knowledge utilisation and on employee information elaboration. (d) Knowledge leadership positively moderates the mediating effect of team knowledge utilisation and the mediating effect of employee information elaboration. These findings contribute to the existing research on TSMU and creativity, providing valuable insights into the role of knowledge leadership.