How Does the Paradoxical Leadership of Cross-Border e-Commerce (CBEC) Gig Workers Influence Chinese Company Performance: The Role of Psychological Well-Being

Abstract

Cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) has attracted interest in the global marketplace. Meanwhile, CBEC gig workers have changed CBEC enterprises’ business models, eliminated outdated enterprises, and reset organizational structures. Consequently, CBEC enterprises must adopt new approaches to promote company performance (CP). However, in Chinese CBEC companies, the psychological well-being (PW) of gig workers is largely ignored. Although some enterprises have paid attention to this problem, the leadership is often not in line with the psychological reality of gig work. Moreover, few studies have focused on the impact of paradoxical leadership (PL) on gig workers’ PW in the CBEC industry. Therefore, this study investigates the link between gig workers’ PW and organizational performance under PL based on survey data from CBEC enterprises in China. Data were collected from a survey of 346 employees of CBEC enterprises in China. Results showed that PL exerts a significant positive impact on CP. The PW of Chinese CBEC gig workers positively mediates the relationship between PL and CP. Under different dynamic environmental conditions, CBEC enterprises in China should adopt appropriate leadership methods to improve their performance. This study provides new theoretical and practical perspectives for understanding the management of gigs in Chinese CBEC companies.