Does passion matter for team innovation? The conditional indirect effects of team harmonious versus obsessive passion via team reflexivity

Abstract This research examines how team members’ passion for innovation compiles to contribute to team innovation. We argue that team mean passion influences team innovation by affecting team reflexivity, which is a key team process for members to collectively reflect on and adjust their efforts toward achieving innovation goals. The indirect effect of mean passion on team innovation via team reflexivity depends on the nature of passion—harmonious passion (HP) versus obsessive passion (OP)—and the diversity of the corresponding type of passion. Results from a two‐wave field study of 131 teams and a three‐wave field study of 155 teams support the differential effects of compiled HP and OP. Moreover, the effect of mean HP on team reflexivity and its indirect effect on team innovation via reflexivity were less positive when HP diversity was higher rather than lower, while the effect of mean OP on team reflexivity and its indirect effect on team innovation via reflexivity were less negative when OP diversity was higher rather than lower. This research offers important theoretical and practical implications for literatures on passion, teams, and team innovation.