From data to innovation: how digital leadership cultivates employees’ data psychological ownership through perceived data value

Vollständiger Abstract

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Purpose Against the backdrop of the rapid development of the digital economy, stimulating employees’ data-driven innovative behavior has become a key issue in organizational management. This study aims to explore how perceived data value affects employee innovative behavior, the mediating role of data asset psychological ownership, and the moderating role of digital leadership. Methodology Drawing on psychological ownership theory and conservation of resources theory, this study constructs a moderated mediation model with digital leadership as a contextual variable. Questionnaire data were collected from 279 full-time enterprise employees, and empirical tests were conducted using the PROCESS macro (Model 7). Findings First, perceived data value is positively associated with employee innovative behavior. Second, data asset psychological ownership partially and significantly mediates the relationship between perceived data value and employee innovative behavior. Third, digital leadership positively moderates the link between perceived data value and data asset psychological ownership. Fourth, digital leadership also positively moderates the mediating effect of data asset psychological ownership; specifically, the indirect path from perceived data value to employee innovative behavior via data asset psychological ownership is reinforced when digital leadership is stronger. Originality This study broadens the object scope of psychological ownership theory by extending it to data assets, and clarifies the psychological mechanism through which perceived data value shapes employee innovative behavior in digital settings. It also provides new micro-level psychological evidence for digital leadership research. Practically, the findings offer valuable implications for enterprises seeking to unlock employees’ innovative potential amid digital transformation.