Fostering employees’ intrapreneurial behaviors by servant leadership: the mediating role of thriving at work and moderating role of proactive personality

Purpose Intrapreneurial behaviors, defined as entrepreneurial activities conducted by employees in existing organizations, are an emerging research topic in entrepreneurship and are regarded as fundamental for the renewal and growth of organizations. Based on the socially embedded model of thriving at work, this study examines how and when servant leadership influences employees’ intrapreneurial behaviors. Design/methodology/approach We used a three-wave survey and collected data from full-time employees working in different industries in China. Findings Results revealed that servant leadership positively affected intrapreneurial behavior through employees’ thriving at work. Moreover, the effect of servant leadership on thriving at work was stronger for employees high in proactive personality. Originality/value Based on the socially embedded model of thriving at work, we propose that the contextual factor (i.e. servant leadership) and individual factor (i.e. proactive personality) jointly influence employees’ thriving experience, which stimulates intrapreneurial behavior.