How identity leadership at various university hierarchy levels shapes researchers’ well-being and performance

In the competitive world of academia, maintaining a productive and healthy life as a researcher is a significant challenge. This paper argues that identity leadership that focuses on fostering shared social identity (a sense of “we” and “us”) contributes meaningfully to researchers’ well-being and productivity. In a field study of 481 early and mid-career researchers (PhD researchers and postdocs) in Germany, academic supervisors’ identity leadership significantly contributed to better team performance (number of publications, reviews, successful funding proposals, presentations), as well as individuals’ OCB, innovation, and well-being (job satisfaction, reduced burnout). As hypothesized, supervisors played a central role, but identity leadership from senior administrators (head of unit, dean, university president) also contributed to these outcomes. Mediation analyses revealed that supervisors’ identity leadership exerted indirect effects through team identification, and to a lesser extent through trust in the leader. These findings show that academic leaders who cultivate shared identity can not only protect researchers’ well-being but also promote their productivity and innovation.