Validating the Causal Relationship between Quantum Leadership and Employee Innovation Performance from the Perspective of Organizational Sustainability

Abstract

In the quantum era, the rapid development of enterprises cannot be separated from the efforts of employees, and the improvement of employee performance is also closely related to the behavior and attitude of organizational leaders. Quantum leadership, as a new leadership paradigm, differs from traditional Newtonian classical mechanics in that it emphasizes wholeness and interconnectedness, considers new ideas as the key to success, and values complex changes in the organizational environment, thus helping the organization provide sustainable development in the future. In addition, quantum leadership is able to manage in chaotic and potentially uncertain environments, encouraging employees to explore new ideas for solving problems, stimulating enthusiasm and motivation for innovation, and thus improving the level of employee performance. In particular, as the importance of innovation performance has been emphasized, it has been considered as a key variable in driving and promoting sustainable organizational development. Moreover, this study is different from previous studies that validate traditional leadership. We focus on an emerging type of leadership that distinguishes itself from traditional leadership—quantum leadership—which is a leadership model that is currently receiving a lot of attention. In the uncertain future environment, quantum leadership is gradually becoming a key factor for business growth and plays an important role in the survival and development of organizations in the future environment. Based on this research background, this study argues that quantum leadership is closely related to employee innovation performance. This study examines whether quantum leadership improves employee innovation performance and the sequential multiple mediating effects of organizational intelligence and knowledge sharing. Most of the previous studies focused only on the mediating or moderating role of the model. This study expands this area of research by incorporating the moderating role of innovative culture and validating its effects. This finding explores the development of quantum leadership and provides a theoretical foundation for related research. In addition, this study collected data from 345 employees of Chinese SMEs in the context of the fourth industrial revolution. These results suggest that quantum leadership positively affects innovation performance. Organizational intelligence and knowledge sharing have multiple serial mediating effects on quantum leadership and innovation performance. Moreover, the interaction between innovative culture and knowledge sharing improves employees’ innovation performance. Therefore, this study clarifies the causal relationship between quantum leadership and innovation performance through theoretical and validated research models. It lays the foundation for the sustainable development of organizations in the future.

1. Introduction

In the quantum era, firms must respond quickly and flexibly to various risks and challenges amid rapid market changes [1]. The ability to achieve sustainable growth in a highly competitive environment relies heavily on innovation capabilities [2]. As a new type of organizational management, quantum management emphasizes participation and uniformity and is inseparable from quantum entanglement [3]. Specifically, quantum management emphasizes wholeness and interconnectedness by treating various departments of an organization as a whole. Under this management framework, there are subtle interactions and connections between the various elements of the organization, which are closely intertwined and interact with each other like particles in the quantum realm. This close interaction facilitates the flow of knowledge and information, stimulates cross-functional cooperation and innovation, and increases an organization’s ability to innovate. However, in chaotic environments, the first and foremost influence on management is the attitude and behavior of leaders [4]. Therefore, in an environment where traditional leadership styles continue, there is an urgent need to introduce a new leadership approach to be effective [5]. Quantum leadership is a style of leadership that emphasizes paradoxical compatibility and subject participation [6]. When an organization is in an uncertain environment, quantum leadership demonstrates the ability and attitude to deal with ambiguity and chaos, which can give employees a sense of security and confidence, help them enhance their mental energy, and reduce the stress of facing the unknown, thus reducing their level of ego depletion [7]. Moreover, quantum leadership emphasizes organizational change for the betterment of the organization, promotes and encourages employee gratitude and external contributions, and brings positive energy to organizational learning [8]. This highlights the critical role of quantum leadership in organizational management. We should advocate that organizations enhance the development of quantum leadership in an era of uncertainty to increase employee engagement and oneness in the organization, which will provide an advantage and help the organization compete and innovation performance. Moreover, innovation performance is a key factor that drives and facilitates organizational sustainability and has been verified via previous researches. Therefore, we expect that quantum leadership increases innovation performance.

From another perspective, quantum leadership not only encourages employees to openly express themselves in their professional skills but also focuses on the expression and development of employees in terms of themselves and pays more attention to the cultivation of employees in terms of deep value experiences and spiritual development and growth [7]. New ideas are a key component of success that bring every employee together in a positive way, removing unnecessary structure, control, and communication constraints and providing an environment that motivates employees to continually innovate, thus enhancing their self-innovation performance [9]. Innovation performance is the process by which employees within an organization consciously create, introduce, and implement new ideas to improve their individual, group, or organizational performance [10]. Innovation is an important advantage for the sustainable development of an organization. Employee innovation can not only help the organization continuously optimize existing processes, but also create opportunities for the development of new products and services, thereby improving overall performance [11]. Innovation performance enhancement directly impacts the organization’s overall innovation capability, which can only be achieved through innovation if the organization wants to get out of the dilemma and increase productivity in the face of complex challenges [12]. In other words, through positive leadership behaviors and the creation of an environment that encourages innovation, employees’ innovation potential can be stimulated and their self-innovation performance enhanced, thus promoting the entire organization to achieve a higher level of innovation performance. Therefore, we predict that quantum leadership will increase employees’ innovation performance, improving organizations in the future and driving organizational sustainability.

To more specifically understand the path through which leadership induces innovation performance, we focus on the serial multiple mediation effects of organizational intelligence and knowledge sharing. Organizational intelligence is considered a key factor in organizational success [13]. It refers to an organization’s ability to manage and analyze data and convert it into knowledge [14]. Organizational intelligence at a higher level is considered visionary and intuitive, which matches the nature of quantum leaders, who are aware of uncertainty and probability [15]. Moreover, organizational intelligence provides employees with opportunities to learn and create. By engaging employees and enhancing their sense of work engagement, it helps them feel the meaning and value of their work, and thus become more committed to common goals in an environment that not only stimulates employee potential and innovation but also promotes teamwork and knowledge sharing, which ultimately enhances the overall performance and competitive advantage of the organization [16]. In other words, in an organization, the leaders’ determination to achieve goals motivates employees to establish deep connections, integrate and optimize internal resources, enhance overall capabilities, form relational networks, strengthen employees’ intra-organizational learning capabilities, increase knowledge flow through effective communication, and improve employees’ innovation capabilities, thereby enhancing innovation performance [17]. Therefore, this study suggests that quantum leadership affects innovation performance through multiple serial mediations of organizational intelligence and knowledge sharing.

In addition, organizational culture is key to managing innovation [18]. This study suggests that the moderating effect of an innovative culture changes employees’ innovation performance levels. Therefore, this study uses innovative culture as a moderating variable to verify its interaction with knowledge sharing and to further understand its impact on innovation performance. Innovative culture is the synthesis of unique, innovative spiritual wealth and material forms created through innovation and management activities [19]. Innovative culture creates an enabling environment and conditions for organizations and helps and guides them to innovate, providing an advantage for their future development [20]. In other words, an innovative culture encourages openness and collaboration, providing employees with an environment for free expression and experimentation of new ideas; by promoting the flow of information and experience, employees can benefit from the insights and knowledge of others, stimulate new ideas and solutions, and effectively apply and integrate knowledge from different fields to improve their innovation performance. This study suggests that innovation culture and knowledge sharing promote each other and provide assistance for organizational innovation. Therefore, exploring the moderating effect of innovative culture and arguing that the interaction between innovative culture and knowledge sharing increases employees’ innovation performance is necessary.

Based on the above theories, the purpose of this study is summarized as follows: First, quantum leadership is defined as a new type of leadership science system whose emergence is based on quantum thinking and is conducive to breaking the traditional paradigm of leadership under Newtonian thinking [6]. Moreover, previous studies have found that quantum leadership research is still in its initial stages and have confirmed the relative lack of empirical research on quantum leadership and employee innovation performance. This study elucidates the relationship between quantum leadership and innovation performance. This demonstrates how quantum leadership enhances employees’ innovation performance. This will expand the field of research on quantum leadership. This study provides empirical support for quantum leadership theory and promotes its application in the direction of sustainable development through a deeper understanding of the impact and assistance that quantum leadership brings to organizations, as well as providing new perspectives and strategies for organizations in their pursuit of sustainable development goals. Moreover, by incorporating the concept of quantum leadership into leadership practices, it stimulates the innovative potential of employees, promotes the harmonious development of the environment, society, and economy, and lays the foundation for the realization of long-term sustainable development goals.

Second, innovation performance can be divided into two categories: organizational performance and employee performance. Employee innovation is a key factor in promoting organizational development and improving organizational performance [21]. In other words, in the context of sustainable development, the importance of employee innovation performance is further amplified. A high level of employee innovation performance can effectively promote organizational innovation results and provide an advantage for the organization in the face of future uncertainties. Therefore, this study pays special attention to employee innovation performance, aiming to identify and understand leadership behaviors that inspire employees’ innovative spirit and attitudes and how these behaviors have a positive impact on innovation performance, thereby helping organizations in their future development.

Third, most studies have used innovative culture as an independent or mediating variable. However, this study identifies the moderating role of innovative culture and presents and validates its moderating effect between knowledge sharing and innovation performance. Specifically, by presenting the interaction between innovative culture and knowledge sharing, we determine how this interaction influences employee innovation performance.

Fourth, research on quantum leadership among Chinese SMEs is lacking. We examine the role of quantum leadership in Chinese SMEs. This attempt helps expand the field of quantum leadership. Specifically, this study proposes a new research paradigm and reveals whether quantum leadership affects innovation performance through multiple serial mediations of organizational intelligence and knowledge sharing. It is considered a contribution that expands the field of research on quantum leadership and innovation performance. Moreover, it reveals that quantum leadership plays a vital role in the uncertainty of the future development of Chinese SMEs and helps understand the role of innovative culture in Chinese SMEs through the interplay of knowledge sharing. The emergence of quantum leadership helps to promote long-term sustainable organizational development and brings positive impacts to society and the environment. Through this research, we are able to gain a deeper understanding of how quantum leadership can support and motivate Chinese SMEs to achieve their sustainability goals in the face of global competition.

In summary, this study provides a new framework for organizations to cope with future uncertainty and complexity, aiming to promote innovation and leadership practices within organizations, and emphasizes how to effectively implement this framework in organizations to enhance competitive advantage. In addition, by proposing specific strategies and action plans, this study helps organizations identify and utilize key factors such as quantum leadership, organizational intelligence, and knowledge sharing to improve innovation performance and meet the challenges of sustainable development. In the face of future uncertainties, this study also provides support for organizations to maintain competitiveness and achieve long-term sustainable development goals in a changing global environment. Finally, this study proposes a research model that promotes organizational sustainability and long-term development with innovative performance, which contributes to the expansion of research in related fields.

2. Theoretical Background and Hypotheses

2.1. The Mediating Effect of Organizational Intelligence

As an emerging leadership style, quantum leadership is believed to be able to create an organizational atmosphere full of mutual respect and equality, which is not only conducive to employees’ greater involvement and enjoyment in work, but also inspires them to show higher work enthusiasm and vitality [7]. Specifically, it refers to a leadership style that promotes continuous learning and growth of the organization by giving the team dreams and meaning, stimulating the creativity and potential of members, strengthening connections between members, and promoting efficient communication and cooperation [22]. Quantum leadership emphasizes interaction with employees, risk-taking, problem-solving in uncertain environments, and the tendency to use quantum techniques and behaviors to effectively steer the organization [3]. Quantum leadership also refers to a leadership style that transforms challenges into opportunities in an environment of instability, chaos, and complexity and focuses on fostering symbiotic relationships within the organization [23]. In organizations, quantum leadership can lead to the feeling that one’s performance strengthens the interactive relationship with employees and increases the level of trust [15]. Leaders with higher quantum levels enhance employee empowerment in the organization, motivate employees, and improve employee satisfaction, increasing organizational productivity, and thus promoting employee performance and self-satisfaction [8]. In addition, quantum leadership is a style of leadership that involves every employee as an active participant in the organizational process [24]. This leadership style provides resources for employee development, which reduces employees’ work stress, increases their sense of value and meaning, reduces their strong sense of protection of their resources, and reduces their willingness to hide their knowledge [1]. According to prior research, quantum leadership has been found to have a positive effect on employees’ innovative behavior [4], job well-being [25], and work engagement [7].

Organizational intelligence is an abrupt, flexible, and creative organizational capability [15]. It specifically refers to the ability of an organization to process information, which includes the process of understanding and predicting how the organization perceives, interprets, stores, disseminates, and uses information [26]. Organizational intelligence refers to an organization’s ability to create and use knowledge strategically and coordinate and adapt to the environment [27]. It also refers to an organization’s ability to solve scenario-specific problems creatively [28]. Organizational intelligence can help organizations identify their weaknesses and strengthen their strengths [4], provide support and opportunities for employee progress and development, increase employees’ level of empowerment, and increase their ability to make accurate and informed decisions [13]. Moreover, organizational intelligence refers to a set of psychological capabilities that an organization possesses, including the ability to learn quickly, adapt to change, think innovatively, and process complex information effectively, thereby helping the organization cope with the competitive environment and achieve long-term development [29]. Organizational intelligence helps organizations quickly adapt to constant environmental changes, renewing and maintaining their capabilities [15]. According to prior research, organizational intelligence can increase the level of innovative behavior [4] and work prosperity [13]. Moreover, organizational trust positively affects organizational intelligence [30].

Innovation performance refers to employees’ conscious efforts to develop, implement, and achieve ideas or results that benefit innovation within an organization [31]. This refers to the creation of new performance through fair human resource management and member innovation activities [32]. The combined output of an organization through processes or activities related to innovation measures the extent to which members of the organization achieve their job performance efficiently and effectively [33]. Innovation performance refers to the behavior of employees who use innovative thinking and novel methods to solve problems and generate new ideas, improvement plans, or creative results during work [34]. A high level of innovation performance contributes to an organization’s development and strengthens its competitiveness [35]. Moreover, innovation performance refers to the ability of an organization to drive innovation and achieve value creation through novel ideas, improved processes, and innovative products or services [36]. It reflects an organization’s efficiency and effectiveness in carrying out innovative activities, and its enhancement is crucial for increasing organizational value and strengthening competitive advantage [37]. Employees’ innovation performance stimulates the organization’s overall innovation to a certain extent, which supports its sustainable development and competitive advantage [10]. According to prior research, perceived insider status [31], psychological contracts [38], and tacit knowledge sharing [39] increase employee innovation performance.

Quantum leadership promotes organizational intelligence by encouraging employees to learn and support themselves through excellence and effort, motivating them to follow strategies to improve their abilities [4]. Quantum leadership creates a self-sustaining environment in an organization that transforms chaos into opportunities, thus building an intelligent organization and enhancing the overall level of organizational intelligence [15]. Moreover, leaders promote lifelong learning in their organizations and create a conducive learning environment that encourages members to develop through self-directed learning, enhancing overall organizational intelligence [8]. In addition, leaders, as part of the organization, will create more effective interactions to develop essential organizational adaptations, explore new paths, and ensure that the system has clear directives, goals, and action plans, improving overall organizational intelligence [40]. When employees’ actions revolve around practices that lead to a deeper understanding of organizational intelligence, faster and more accurate decision-making is enabled. In highly intelligent organizations, employees who effectively implement knowledge management have higher levels of innovative behavior, promoting innovation performance [4]. Moreover, organizational intelligence enhances overall innovation performance by creating a learning system that develops the organization’s skills to deal with complex challenges and provides employees with platforms and resources to learn and promote their innovative capabilities [41]. When the level of organizational intelligence is high, it helps organizations provide relevant facilities to make essential and rational decisions and improve their performance and efficiency [21]. In addition, organizational intelligence promotes human capital, improves organizational structural processes, expands relationships with all relevant parties outside the organization, generates dynamic channels of innovation, and increases the level of performance by increasing the basis for employee innovation through greater use of the organization’s intellectual capital capabilities [42]. An increase in the level of organizational intelligence will provide a solid foundation for the career development and growth of employees; when employees are satisfied with their work, their self-concept and self-esteem will increase, which will lead to a greater focus on the organization’s innovations, contributing to an increase in its performance [21].

Moreover, quantum leadership encourages innovation among employees through new products, services, processes, and practices that drive social change [8]. Leaders with high quantum technology standards have a profoundly transformational mindset that sees creativity as the key to success; they can unleash creativity and actively stimulate employees’ creativity and innovation in transforming chaos into wisdom, thereby enhancing the organization’s innovation performance [9]. In addition, their ability will improve employees’ sense of meaning and honor in their work, make them believe that they can realize their value through hard work and innovation, instill innovative perspectives in employees through intellectual stimulation, support and encourage employees to solve problems with new thinking and methods, and give free play to their imagination to promote the development of innovation performance [43]. Therefore, the key to organizational success lies in the leader’s new insights that enhance overall organizational intelligence by promoting the organization’s ability to learn, which inspires employees to be innovative and supports innovation performance [8]. And the role of leaders is indisputable, as they determine an organization’s goals and strategies, guide and supervise the organization, and acquire the skills and competencies needed for organizational success and sustainability [4]. Based on these considerations, this study proposes the following hypothesis:

Hypothesis 1.

Organizational intelligence will positively mediate the relationship between quantum leadership and innovation performance.

2.2. The Mediating Effect of Knowledge Sharing

Knowledge sharing refers to the flow of knowledge between organizations through formal and informal channels [30]. It also refers to the ability to acquire and facilitate knowledge transfer to others [44]. Knowledge sharing is when a specific individual provides or disseminates knowledge to others in an organization [45]. Specifically, it is the process of communication and transmission of ideas, opinions, experiences, and professional knowledge between individuals or groups. This process helps promote the circulation and diffusion of information and knowledge [46]. An increase in knowledge sharing will update organizational information in real-time and facilitate employees in planning new organizational ideas, thus increasing the likelihood of achieving competitive advantage [30]. Knowledge sharing refers to the process of disseminating, communicating, and applying acquired knowledge between individuals or organizations [47]. Knowledge sharing in an organization improves the personal learning process of employees and facilitates the development of creativity, which in turn improves personal performance [16]. As knowledge is disseminated and applied within an organization, employees can innovate, improve decision-making, and contribute to the growth of collective intelligence, which supports sustainable organizational development [46]. Prior research found that leadership trust [45] and perceived support for knowledge sharing [44] positively impact knowledge sharing. On the other hand, workplace ostracism [48] reduces the level of knowledge sharing among employees.

In organizations, quantum leadership determines the strategy and vision for knowledge creation and sharing, provides motivation and guidance, and enhances knowledge sharing among employees [4]. To help employees achieve organizational goals by providing resources and platforms, thus promoting a collaborative atmosphere in the organization and creating methods of knowledge sharing from the individual to the organization, encouraging the flow of knowledge among employees within the organization and facilitating the generation of knowledge sharing is necessary [8]. Additionally, quantum leadership develops a strategy in the organization that encourages openness and collaboration and uses technology to enhance knowledge sharing among employees [49]. Quantum leaders effectively manage themselves to ensure that employees feel safe in the organization and promote diversity, which enhances deep connections between team members, helps them learn and grow, and leads employees to be more willing to share their expertise within the organization [9]. When employees communicate with different people in the process of knowledge sharing, this exchange of ideas is regarded as a potential channel for innovation, which promotes organizational excellence in performance [10]. And employees’ knowledge-sharing behavior improves the efficiency of knowledge transmission, reduces the cost of employees’ knowledge acquisition, accelerates the process of new knowledge accumulation, and therefore promotes the enhancement of employees’ innovation performance [50]. When employees actively demonstrate a high level of knowledge-sharing behavior, they communicate more fully with each other. In helping each other, the constant collision of ideas is more likely to stimulate new ideas, enhancing innovation performance [38]. Knowledge-sharing practices help employees acquire knowledge more fully and facilitate the exchange of ideas with colleagues within the organization, which leads to a higher level of innovation, and thus improves innovation performance [35]. Therefore, knowledge-sharing practices can accelerate the flow of information in the organization, help employees gain new insights and inspiration, promote collaboration and cross-disciplinary thinking, improve the overall adaptability and responsiveness of the organization, and stimulate innovation, thus significantly enhancing innovation performance.

Moreover, quantum leadership in an organization enhances employees’ perceptions, attitudes, and behavioral decisions about their leaders. It encourages them to make their judgments and choices at work, use their initiative and creativity, and stimulate innovation performance [6]. And quantum leadership, as a product of quantum management, improves the relationship among employees by flexibly building cross-functional and virtual teams in the organization, strengthening and utilizing team social networks, enhancing interpersonal trust among employees, helping employees interoperate with each other’s resources, and facilitating performance improvement [51]. Specifically, as organizations strive to leverage technology to create value, and innovation and knowledge sharing become key strategic components, quantum leadership creates a positive work climate in the organization, advocating for employees to facilitate the dissemination of information through knowledge sharing and leverage their expertise to increase the level of innovation and, in turn, raise the level of performance [49]. In addition, when the level of knowledge sharing is high, leaders intellectually stimulate employees and guide them to apply new approaches to problem-solving, which prompts them to be more willing to share their innovative experiences, skills, and knowledge, thus enhancing their work capabilities and improving innovation performance [43]. Based on these considerations, this study proposes the following hypothesis:

Hypothesis 2.

Knowledge sharing will positively mediate the relationship between quantum leadership and innovation performance.

2.3. The Serial Multiple Mediation Effect of Organizational Intelligence and Knowledge Sharing

In organizations with a high level of organizational intelligence, quantum leadership stimulates innovation. It promotes performance by adopting a people-centered management approach, placing employees at the center of the organization, giving them appropriate empowerment and self-determination to participate in management, supporting the organization’s employees, respecting and trusting each other, and helping them be more attentive to the organization and their personal interests [4]. Quantum leadership has a significant impact on employee performance because it creates synergies that enhance organizational capabilities, promote overall intelligence, and create an empowering atmosphere in which employees feel trust, security, and a sense of belonging, allowing them to focus on innovation and enhance innovation performance [9]. Leaders also promote goal achievement by fulfilling employee expectations and establishing a company culture that combines organizational learning skills with constructive input and knowledge sharing, helping employees improve innovation performance by fostering new ideas and capabilities through knowledge flow within the organization [8].

But knowledge sharing is not limited to the sharing of physical resources; organizational intelligence can play an essential role in facilitating interdependent knowledge sharing [52]. Specifically, organizational intelligence as a whole emphasizes the use of information. Because the organization needs information to acquire and share knowledge that contributes to performance excellence, it creates a learning mechanism and atmosphere through its ability to actively update knowledge and information to help its employees continue to learn and advance, facilitating knowledge sharing [16]. Moreover, organizational intelligence will increase the stock of knowledge in the organization through the overall organizational capabilities of collection, openness, and intervention, which will enhance a positive organizational learning environment for employees, increase mutual trust and mutual learning among employees, and promote knowledge sharing [53]. Knowledge sharing among organizational members in the presence of high organizational intelligence can enhance product features, quality improvement, product technology, product specifications, and product functionality, thereby effectively enhancing market competitiveness [54]. Organizational intelligence can mobilize knowledge and experience within an organization to adapt to the environment’s needs and provide employees with more opportunities to exchange knowledge in competitive environments [55].

Therefore, the enhancement of organizational intelligence improves the effective transfer and utilization of knowledge by optimizing the flow of information, facilitating collaboration, and enhancing decision-making capabilities, thereby improving the organization’s overall efficiency and innovation capabilities. Specifically, in the era of digital transformation, in the face of organizational unknowns and uncertainties, leaders provide innovative capabilities by inspiring and guiding employees to actively engage in digital technologies and leverage other organizational capabilities to create valuable activities for the organization [17]; generate greater value by inspiring employees to enhance intra-organizational learning, interactions, and communications; acquire work-related knowledge and resources; and promote collaboration to create greater value space and improve innovation performance [17]. In addition, quantum leadership facilitates and encourages continuous learning to enhance the organization’s overall capabilities in the right learning environment, ensures the stability of production methods and framework design practices, organizes resources and incentives for growth, provides a platform for employees to innovate [8], and actively communicates with employees to help them acquire knowledge and experience, enhance their perception of leadership, and generate a higher level of leadership. This allows employees to acquire much knowledge and experience, improve their perception of leadership care, generate higher self-evaluations, and increase their confidence in innovation, leading to increased innovation performance [43]. Meanwhile, as an essential component of organizational intelligence, leaders play a key role in developing and communicating organizational learning to increase employee participation in organizational learning and advocate and encourage employees to actively share knowledge, improve innovation through learning, and contribute to the improvement of innovation performance [8]. Based on these considerations, this study proposes the following hypothesis:

Hypothesis 3.

Organizational intelligence and knowledge sharing will have positively serial multiple mediation the relationship between quantum leadership and innovation performance.

2.4. The Moderating Effect of Innovative Culture

This study emphasizes the moderating role of innovative culture and suggests that its emergence increases the impact of employees’ knowledge-sharing behaviors on innovation performance. Therefore, the innovation performance of Chinese SMEs employees is determined by the interaction between knowledge sharing and innovative culture. Innovative culture refers to a set of values, beliefs, and assumptions shared by members of an organization. These common ideas can inspire and support the process of product innovation [56,57]. It also refers to an organization’s primary belief in innovation [18]. Specifically, it refers to the shared values and attitudes that stimulate the generation of innovative ideas and ensure that innovative behaviors are implemented [58]. It is also a culture that fosters innovation, referring to the cultural patterns associated with innovation [20]. The generation of innovative culture helps employees learn the knowledge of innovative culture in the organization and strengthens their awareness of the organization’s innovation [59]. On the basis of the organization’s historical experience and lessons, it abandons traditional beliefs and practices that have led to failure. At the same time, it looks to the future, actively adopts novel concepts and risky strategies, and constantly plans and implements them in practice. It is a challenging and creative culture [60]. Moreover, the establishment of an innovative culture creates a positive, innovative atmosphere and incentives in the organization, which helps improve its innovative capability [20]. An innovative culture in an organization enhances employees’ enthusiasm, initiative, and sense of responsibility, which helps the organization reach new goals and provides an advantage for future competition [19]. Prior research has found that innovative culture has a positive impact on knowledge sharing [61], innovation performance [59], and innovative employee behavior [62].

Establishing an innovative culture and values within an organization enhances the learning ability of employees and the organization as a whole. It promotes knowledge flow and cooperation within the organization, thus increasing the knowledge stock and value of the organization as a whole [63]. Moreover, when the level of an organization’s innovative culture is high, the values, beliefs, and concepts of the innovative culture influence employees’ work values and attitudes, enhance their sense of identification with the organization, and ultimately make employees regard knowledge sharing as a happy and meaningful thing to do [61]. Organizations can establish a team knowledge-sharing mechanism for employees through an innovative culture that provides employees with the opportunity to participate in the process of creating the organization’s proprietary knowledge and creating more opportunities for team production and invention, prompting more people to share team knowledge [18]. When employees create value through knowledge sharing, they not only enhance their knowledge base but also promote the systematization and socialization of knowledge, create new knowledge, continue to enhance their innovative capabilities, and improve their innovative behaviors, which, in turn, enhances performance [63]. Organizational culture has also been identified as a key factor in enhancing organizational performance and stimulating innovation among employees [64]. The continuous improvement and reform of the innovative culture in the organization will enhance the innovative vitality of employees and increase their motivation to carry out innovative activities for the company, which will effectively contribute to the improvement of innovation performance [59]. Establishing an innovative culture in an organization can help create a good innovative atmosphere, promote mutual assistance and mutual benefit among employees, and enhance respect for innovative achievements, thus improving innovation performance [20]. And it can help enterprises create a good working atmosphere, which effectively drives the development of corporate innovation and promotes employee innovation performance [59]. Therefore, establishing a correct innovative culture will help employees develop correct knowledge values and behavioral norms in the organization, remove obstacles to knowledge sharing for the sake of employee development, and encourage employees to contribute their creativity and ideas to promote the sharing and circulation of knowledge among employees through a reasonable incentive system to improve innovation performance [63]. In other words, when innovative culture and knowledge sharing are combined, they work to create an open and collaborative environment that helps cultivate the spirit of innovation, promote cross-team and cross-departmental cooperation, accelerate the transformation of knowledge and ideas, and ultimately enhance innovation performance. Based on these considerations, this study proposes the following hypothesis:

Hypothesis 4.

Innovative culture will have a positive moderating effect on the relationship between knowledge sharing and innovation performance.

3. Methods

3.1. Sample Characteristics

In the era of the fourth industrial revolution, small- and medium-sized enterprises are experiencing considerable competition for sustainable competitive advantage. Based on this research background, this study presents a research model to increase sustainable competitive advantage, organizational sustainability, and sustainable development for small- and medium-sized enterprises, and verifies validity of research model. The study is based on the employees of Chinese SMEs who were surveyed through an online questionnaire. They responded to this survey voluntarily and confidentially. A total of 345 data samples were collected from this questionnaire and used for empirical analysis. Regarding the demographic characteristics of this study, 138 (40.0%) were male and 207 (60.0%) were female.

Regarding age, 9 (2.6%) people were under 20 years old, 90 (26.1%) were 20 to 39 years old, 92 (26.7%) people were 30 to 39 years old, 100 (29.0%) people were 40 to 49 years old, and 54 (15.7%) people were 50 or over.

Regarding education, 117 (33.9%) people had finished technical secondary schools or high schools, 104 (30.1%) were junior college graduates, 85 (24.6%) people were college graduates, 26 (7.5%) people had master’s degrees, and 13 (3.8%) people had a Ph.D. or more.

Regarding service years, 85 (24.6%) people had worked less than 1 year, 78 (22.6%) had worked for under 1 to 2 years, 75 (21.7%) had worked for under 3 to 5 years, 33 (9.6%) had worked for under 5 to 7 years, and 74 (21.4%) had worked for 7 years or more. In terms of employment relationships, full-time jobs were the most numerous at 200 (58.0%) and informal positions were 145 (42.0%).

Regarding company position, 201 (58.3%) people were employees, 61 (17.7%) people were group leaders, 41 (11.9%) people were directors, 25 (7.2%) people were managers, 10 (2.9%) people were commissioners, and 7 (2.0%) people were general managers.

Regarding the time spent working with the current immediate leader, 106 (30.7%) people had worked with the current immediate leader for a year or less, 87 (25.2%) had worked with the current immediate leader for 1 to 2 years, 64 (18.6%) had worked with the current immediate leader for 3 to 4 years, 45 (13.0%) had worked with the current immediate leader for 5 to 6 years, and 43 (12.5%) had worked with the current immediate leader for 6 or more years.

Regarding enterprise type, 85 (24.6%) people were working in education, 73 (21.2%) in finance, 35 (10.1%) in coal mining, 44 (12.8%) in catering services, 14 (4.1%) in the medical industry, and 94 (27.2%) in other occupations.

3.2. Measurement

Quantum leadership is a style of leadership that works to increase trust and security, promote dynamic communication and learning, reduce vertical communication and increase horizontal communication within an organization [65]. To measure Chinese SMEs quantum leadership, this study used a tool mentioned in the studies of [66], The measurement tool consists of 24 items. Sample items included “Maintains composure in the face of unexpected events.” or “Evaluates the process rather than the result”.

Organizational intelligence is the ability of an organization to identify, interpret, and respond to its environment in order to meet stakeholder goals [53]. To measure Chinese SMEs organizational intelligence, this study used a tool mentioned in the studies of [67], The measurement tool consists of 6 items. Sample items included “Do managers work with energy, fervor and hopefulness?” or “Do ICT empower the employees to work effectively?”.

Knowledge sharing is the process of reciprocal knowledge exchange as perceived by the knowledge transferor and the recipient [68]. To measure Chinese SMEs knowledge sharing, this study used a tool mentioned in the studies of [69]. The measurement tool consists of 7 items. Sample items included “‘When I have learned something new, I tell my colleagues about it.” or “I share information I have with colleagues when they ask for it”.

Innovative culture refers to a culture that advocates and supports technological innovation and is composed of innovation values, innovation behavioral norms, and innovation institutional systems that are commonly recognized by all employees of an enterprise [70]. To measure Chinese SMEs innovative culture, this study used a tool mentioned in the studies of [71]. The measurement tool consists of 7 items. Sample items included “Our flexible structure facilitates searching for and incorporating diverse points of view.” or “Our culture rewards behaviors that relate to creativity and innovation”.

Individual innovation performance is the generation of ideas and the realization of new ideas [72]. To measure Chinese SMEs innovation performance, this study used a tool mentioned in the studies of [73]. The measurement tool consists of 9 items. Sample items included “Searching out new working methods, techniques, or instruments?” or “Transforming innovative ideas into useful applications”.

All items were measured on a 7-point Likert scale (ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 7 = strongly agree) (Figure 1).

4. Results

4.1. Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Reliability Analysis

In this study, the practicability of different data models is verified by confirmatory factor analysis [74]. The results of confirmatory factor analysis are as follows. The absolute fit indexes were X²(p) = 3150.915(0.000), X²/df = 2.806, and RMSEA = 0.072. And the RMSEA is indeed a ‘badness of fit’ index, with values very close to 0 indicating almost perfect fit and with greater RMSEA indicating worse fit. For the RMSEA, values less than 0.05 reflect a small approximation error, values between 0.05 and 0.08 reflect an acceptable error of approximation while values greater than 0.10 constitute poor fit of the model [75]. Second, the incremental fit indexes were IFI = 0.902 and CFI = 0.901. Third, the parsimonious adjusted indexes were PNFI = 0.697 and PGFI = 0.570.

This study analyzed the values of average variance extracted (AVE) and composite reliability (C.R). Regarding average variance extracted (AVE), quantum leadership was 0.579, organizational intelligence was 0.521, knowledge sharing was 0.618, innovative culture was 0.538, and innovation performance was 0.648; these values were all greater than 0.5.

Regarding composite reliability (C.R), quantum leadership was 0.947, organizational intelligence was 0.793, knowledge sharing was 0.866, innovative culture was 0.817, and innovation performance was 0.911; all of these values were greater than 0.7. The measurement has significant validity if the AVE of variables is higher than 0.5 and CR is higher than 0.7.

Reliability analysis refers to the method of measuring the internal consistency of scale items [76]. Therefore, this study also analyzed the Cronbach’s value. For values of α Cronbach’s, quantum leadership = 0.976, organizational intelligence = 0.922, knowledge sharing = 0.931, innovative culture = 0.940, and innovation performance = 0.954; reliability analysis has significant validity if the Cronbach’s value of variables is higher than 0.7. The results are shown in

Table 1. Results of confirmatory factor analysis and reliability analysis.

Variables	Estimate		S.E.	C.R.	p	Standardized Regression Weights	AVE	C.R	Cronbach’s Alpha
Quantum Leadership (A)	A24	1				0.728	0.579	0.947	0.976
	A23	1	0.046	21.788	***	0.803
	A22	1.001	0.044	22.721	***	0.797
	A21	1.043	0.05	21.011	***	0.818
	A20	1.117	0.055	20.369	***	0.791
	A19	1.114	0.058	19.136	***	0.774
	A18	0.949	0.051	18.62	***	0.752
	A17	0.985	0.053	18.581	***	0.753
	A16	1.012	0.047	21.652	***	0.826
	A15	1.042	0.051	20.439	***	0.800
	A14	1.017	0.049	20.659	***	0.805
	A13	1.142	0.051	22.242	***	0.835
	A12	1.099	0.056	19.522	***	0.785
	A11	0.991	0.057	17.373	***	0.734
	A10	0.885	0.054	16.427	***	0.708
	A9	1.001	0.055	18.108	***	0.750
	A8	1.005	0.054	18.613	***	0.762
	A7	1.04	0.058	17.912	***	0.746
	A6	1.027	0.058	17.81	***	0.743
	A5	1.071	0.062	17.399	***	0.734
	A4	0.983	0.064	15.314	***	0.678
	A3	0.997	0.06	16.602	***	0.713
	A2	0.926	0.059	15.815	***	0.691
	A1	1.026	0.061	16.854	***	0.719
Organizational Intelligence (B)	B1	1				0.75	0.521	0.793	0.922
	B2	0.851	0.046	18.334	***	0.672
	B3	0.868	0.051	17.028	***	0.668
	B4	1.006	0.063	15.959	***	0.748
	B5	0.977	0.054	18.046	***	0.754
	B6	0.934	0.056	16.637	***	0.734
Knowledge Sharing (C)	C7	1				0.797	0.618	0.866	0.931
	C6	1.054	0.049	21.628	***	0.822
	C5	1.118	0.053	21.017	***	0.816
	C4	0.953	0.057	16.816	***	0.728
	C3	1.033	0.055	18.884	***	0.773
	C2	1.018	0.055	18.467	***	0.761
	C1	1.088	0.053	20.661	***	0.803
Innovative Culture (D)	D1	1				0.745	0.538	0.817	0.940
	D2	0.939	0.049	19.091		0.73
	D3	0.965	0.054	17.918	***	0.732
	D4	0.996	0.062	16.058	***	0.717
	D5	1.073	0.065	16.459	***	0.735
	D6	1.022	0.059	17.436	***	0.761
	D7	0.943	0.058	16.367	***	0.718
Innovation Performance (E)	E1	1				0.785	0.648	0.911	0.954
	E2	1.008	0.05	19.995	***	0.812
	E3	0.927	0.048	19.18	***	0.806
	E4	0.986	0.06	16.37	***	0.779
	E5	1.125	0.061	18.591	***	0.825
	E6	1.018	0.063	16.235	***	0.781
	E7	1.083	0.054	20.044	***	0.842
	E8	1.057	0.052	20.358	***	0.819
	E9	0.978	0.053	18.538	***	0.797
Model Fit Index		X2(p) = 3150.915(0.000), X2/df = 2.806, RMSEA = 0.072, IFI = 0.902, CFI = 0.901, PGFI = 0.570, PNFI = 0.697

***: p < 0.001.

.

4.2. Descriptive Statistics and Correlation Analysis

Table 2. Results of descriptive statistics and correlation analysis.

	Mean	Standard Deviation	Quantum Leadership	Organizational Intelligence	Knowledge Sharing	Innovative Culture	Innovation Performance
Quantum Leadership	5.528	1.118	-
Organizational Intelligence	5.530	1.149	0.869 ***	-
Knowledge Sharing	5.527	1.156	0.854 ***	0.843 ***	-
Innovative Culture	5.450	1.213	0.834 ***	0.837 ***	0.858 ***	-
Innovation Performance	5.500	1.166	0.794 ***	0.787 ***	0.823 ***	0.837 ***	-

***: p < 0.001.

shows the descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. Descriptive statistics analysis included the mean and standard deviation (SD). The means for quantum leadership, organizational intelligence, knowledge sharing, innovative culture, and innovation performance were 5.528, 5.530, 5.527, 5.450, and 5.500 respectively. In addition, the SDs of n quantum leadership, organizational intelligence, knowledge sharing, innovative culture, and innovation performance were 1.118, 1.149, 1.156, 1.213, and 1.166, respectively.

To verify the correlation among variables, this study conducted a correlation analysis; the results are summarized as follows: quantum leadership was positively associated with organizational intelligence (r = 0.869, p < 0.001), knowledge sharing (r = 0.854, p < 0.001), innovative culture (r = 0.834, p < 0.001), and innovation performance (r = 0.794, p < 0.001). Organizational intelligence was positively associated with knowledge sharing (r = 0.843, p < 0.001), innovative culture (r = 0.837, p < 0.001), and innovation performance (r = 0.787, p < 0.001). Knowledge sharing was positively associated with innovative culture (r = 0.858, p < 0.001) and innovation performance (r = 0.823, p < 0.001). Moreover, innovation performance was positively associated with innovation performance (r = 0.837, p < 0.001).

4.3. Hypothesis Test

For hypothesis testing, this study employed Model 6 using the SPSS PROCESS Macro version 3.4 for analysis. The results show that quantum leadership has a positive impact on organizational intelligence (Estimate = 0.8932, p < 0.001), knowledge sharing (Estimate = 0.5104, p < 0.001), and innovation performance (Estimate = 0.2301, p < 0.001). Organizational intelligence has a positive impact on knowledge sharing (Estimate = 0.4165, p < 0.001) and innovation performance (Estimate = 0.2115, p < 0.001). In addition, the results show that knowledge sharing has a positive impact on innovation performance (Estimate = 0.4632, p < 0.001).

Hypothesis 1 tested the mediating effect of organizational intelligence on the relationship between quantum leadership and innovation performance. The indirect effect of organizational intelligence in the relationship between quantum leadership and innovation performance is 0.1889, LLCI = 0.0285, and ULCI = 0.4343. Therefore, since it is found that there is no zero between the Boot LLCI and Boot ULCI, the mediation effect can be regarded as significant. Therefore, Hypothesis 1 was supported. In addition, Hypothesis 2 tested the mediating effect of knowledge sharing on the relationship between quantum leadership and innovation performance. The indirect effect of knowledge sharing in the relationship between quantum leadership and innovation performance is 0.2364, LLCI = 0.0873, and ULCI = 0.4030. Therefore, since it is found that there is no zero between the Boot LLCI and Boot ULCI, the mediation effect can be regarded as significant. Therefore, Hypothesis 2 was supported.

Hypothesis 3 tested the serial multiple mediation effects of organizational intelligence and knowledge sharing on the relationship between quantum leadership and innovation performance. The serial multiple mediation effects of organizational intelligence and knowledge sharing in the relationship between quantum leadership and innovation performance have an indirect effect of 0.1723, LLCI = 0.0690, and ULCI = 0.3028. Therefore, since it is found that there is no zero between the Boot LLCI and Boot ULCI, the serial multiple mediation effect can be regarded as significant. Therefore, Hypothesis 3 was supported. The

Table 3. Results of serial multiple mediation.

Path	Estimate	S.E.	t	p	LLCI		ULCI
Quantum Leadership → Organizational Intelligence	0.8932	0.0275	32.5630	0.000	0.8392		0.9472
Quantum Leadership → Knowledge Sharing	0.5104	0.0541	9.4375	0.000	0.4041		0.6168
Quantum Leadership → Innovation Performance	0.2301	0.0682	3.3746	0.0008	0.0960		0.3643
Organizational Intelligence → Knowledge Sharing	0.4165	0.0526	7.9137	0.000	0.3130		0.5200
Organizational Intelligence → Innovation Performance	0.2115	0.0643	3.2899	0.0011	0.0851		0.3380
Knowledge Sharing → Innovation Performance	0.4632	0.0607	7.6266	0.000	0.3437		0.5826
Indirect effect		Effect	Boot S.E.	Boot LLCI		Boot ULCI
Total Indirect Effect (X→M1→Y, X→M2→Y, X→M1→M2→Y)		0.5976	0.0856	0.4266		0.7671
Quantum Leadership → Organizational Intelligence → Innovation Performance (X→M1→Y)		0.1899	0.1050	0.0285		0.4343
Quantum Leadership → Knowledge Sharing → Innovation Performance (X→M2→Y)		0.2364	0.0845	0.0873		0.4030
Quantum Leadership → Organizational Intelligence → Knowledge Sharing → Innovation Performance (X→M1→M2→Y)		0.1723	0.0601	0.0690		0.3028

showed the results of path analysis.

4.4. Moderating Effect of Innovative Culture

Hypothesis 4 established that innovative culture moderates the effect of knowledge sharing on innovation performance. The results showed that innovative culture significantly moderated the effect of knowledge sharing on innovation performance (β = 0.064, p < 0.05). This means that the higher the innovative culture, the greater the impact of knowledge sharing on innovation performance. Therefore, Hypothesis 4 is supported. Through the results, we find that the interaction between innovative culture and knowledge sharing will lead to a higher degree of innovation performance (

Table 4. Result of moderation.

Dependent Variable: Innovation Performance
	Model 1		Model 2		Model 3
	β	t	β	t	β	t	VIF
Knowledge Sharing (A)	0.823 ***	26.8433	0.399 ***	7.472	0.421 ***	7.757	3.941
Innovative Culture (B)			0.494 ***	9.252	0.505 ***	9.447	3.821
Interaction					0.064 *	2.019	1.324
R2 (Adjusted R2)	0.677 (0.677)		0.742 (0.741)		0.745 (0.743)
ΔR2 (ΔAdjusted R2)	-		0.065 (0.064)		0.003 (0.002)
F	720.547 ***		491.923 ***		332.257 ***

***: p < 0.001, *: p < 0.05.

and Figure 2).

5. Discussion

According to previous studies (e.g., [1,65,77]), the importance and role of quantum leadership in organizations have been emphasized and confirmed, and it has been argued that enhancing the development of quantum leadership in the future development of organizations is not only an important task to achieve sustainable development but also a key to improving competitive advantage. This study argues that as the spearheads and leaders of an organization, their attitudes and behaviors directly affect employees. Therefore, we consider employees of Chinese SMEs as the research objects and explore the subsequent impact of quantum leadership more specifically. Innovation performance reflects an organization or individual’s overall performance and efficiency in innovation activities. Therefore, we consider employee innovation performance a product of an organization’s quantum leadership. The relationship between quantum leadership and innovation performance is also elucidated. The results of this study show that quantum leadership in an organization emphasizes openness and collaboration to stimulate employees’ innovative potential and behaviors and improve the level of innovation performance by establishing and providing an effective resource platform for employees to help them develop their personal competencies and promote the enhancement of the organization’s overall competencies and knowledge flow. In other words, while quantum leadership impacts innovation performance, it can also impact innovation performance through the serial multiple mediation of organizational intelligence and knowledge sharing. In addition, this study verified whether the improvement in innovation performance levels depends on the interaction between innovative culture and knowledge sharing through a moderated model. This study provides insights and directions for future research on the organizational sustainability of Chinese SMEs. The findings are summarized as follows.

5.1. Theoretical Implications

The main contribution of this study is to explore and determine through empirical analysis how quantum leadership improves employees’ innovation performance. This study not only focuses on the direct impact of quantum leadership on innovation performance but also specifically examines which key variables play a role in quantum leadership by inducing innovation performance.

First, quantum leadership has a positive effect on organizational intelligence. This suggests that the higher the level of quantum leadership, the higher the level of organizational intelligence. Quantum leadership involves mastering uncertainty, probability, and complexity [15]. A quantum leader can self-transform and stimulate latent positive energy within the team for the shared vision of the organization and its employees [8]. At the same time, quantum leaders have intellectual, analytical, and technical skills and can also understand and manage interpersonal relationships [8]. Thus, quantum leadership fulfills the requirements of organizational intelligence in a complex adaptive system [15]. In other words, through its unique leadership style and approach, quantum leadership can enhance organizational adaptive capacity in uncertain and complex environments and strengthen teamwork, thereby improving overall organizational intelligence. Therefore, in Chinese SMEs, the higher the level of quantum leadership, the higher the level of organizational intelligence.

Second, the results show that quantum leadership positively affects knowledge sharing. This suggests that the higher the level of quantum leadership, the higher the level of knowledge sharing. Knowledge sharing is a key factor in the success and excellence of an organization and a sustainable competitive advantage [16]. Quantum leadership creates significant opportunities for employees to work together and collaboratively in an organization [15]. Quantum leadership facilitates knowledge sharing among employees by building good relationships within the organization, which increases employees’ self-confidence and willingness to share knowledge within the organization [4]. In addition, quantum leadership provides employees with the resources and conditions to achieve their goals while emphasizing sharing and win–win relationships so that employees can appreciate the meaning and pride of their work and become more willing to share their expertise, thus promoting self- and organizational development [7]. Therefore, quantum leadership creates good conditions for employees in the organization, which not only helps employees improve their self-learning abilities and promoting the exchange and circulation of knowledge among employees, thus supporting the development of the organization and individuals.

Third, quantum leadership positively affects innovation performance. This suggests that the higher the level of quantum leadership, the higher the innovation performance of employees. Quantum leadership emphasizes organizational change, a synergistic result of logical and associative thinking [23]. Not only does a quantum leader have a strong sense of self-awareness, but they are introspective and critical, and they also take the initiative to guide their organization’s members to become more spiritually aware, thus helping them achieve personal growth [25]. At the same time, innovation performance highlights employees’ high level of productivity and creativity, which not only helps achieve organizational goals but also promotes organizational innovation [78]. In other words, leaders in an organization can effectively encourage employees to explore novel ideas for solving problems, stimulate employees’ enthusiasm and motivation to disrupt traditional innovations, and provide employees with a good atmosphere for innovation, which improves their creativity, enhancing the level of innovation performance [79] and laying the foundation for the development and innovation of the organization.

Fourth, according to previous research, organizational intelligence has been found to positively affect knowledge sharing [27]. The present study validates this by showing that the higher the level of organizational intelligence, the higher the level of knowledge sharing. Organizational intelligence is considered a prerequisite for knowledge sharing [30]. It is based on human intelligence and is characterized by sustained intellectual capital, which, if effectively used and managed, can significantly enhance organizational agility [4]. In addition, organizational intelligence as a holistic organizational capability not only maintains new knowledge in the organization but also applies it effectively in all situations facing competition [80], thus achieving organizational goals and contributing to organizational growth and development [30]. Organizational intelligence focuses on accurately understanding challenges, improving knowledge management, and facilitating communication between organizations, which effectively promotes the flow of information and integration of resources within an organization and stimulates innovation and collaboration among employees [80]. Therefore, an organization with a high degree of intelligence tends to have a good learning culture and communication mechanisms which can create an environment and atmosphere that support knowledge sharing. In such an environment, employees are more willing to share their knowledge and experience because they know that it will be recognized and supported by the organization, which, in turn, promotes the motivation and sustainability of knowledge sharing.

Fifth, organizational intelligence has a positive effect on innovation performance. This indicates that the higher the level of organizational intelligence, the higher the level of employee innovation performance. In the current ever-changing environment, creativity and innovation are the main conditions for survival and key factors for success. Employees’ innovation performance not only enhances the competitiveness of individuals in the organization but also helps firms cope better with globalized competition and uncertain business environments [21,81]. Organizations with high levels of organizational intelligence have considerable advantages in understanding organizational problems, perceiving and acquiring knowledge, organizational innovation, career advancement, and individual and organizational performance [21]. Therefore, organizational intelligence creates an environment conducive to innovation for employees by optimizing knowledge management, creating a learning culture, enhancing flexibility, promoting teamwork, motivating them to innovate, and raising their level of self-performance to maintain an edge in the competitive marketplace.

Sixth, the results show that knowledge sharing positively impacts innovation performance. This indicates that the higher the level of knowledge sharing, the higher the level of innovation performance. In organizations, employees develop communicative relationships by sharing their knowledge, enhancing inter-team trust, and improving teamwork for organizational development [82]. Moreover, through knowledge sharing, employees can acquire the required knowledge more efficiently, enhancing innovation performance and supporting the organization’s future development [35]. Therefore, knowledge sharing provides employees opportunities for continuous learning, exposure to more information and experience, and accumulating a richer knowledge base. This prompts them to continuously improve their skills and knowledge, thus strengthening employees’ innovative capabilities and new ideas and improving innovation performance.

Seventh, this study confirms the serial multiple mediating effects of organizational intelligence and knowledge sharing between quantum leadership and innovation performance. This suggests that quantum leadership affects innovation performance through organizational intelligence and knowledge sharing. In organizations, leaders promote the level of organizational intelligence by increasing productivity for the organization’s common goal and updating self-competence to create physical and environmental conditions that can adapt to change [83]. Organizational intelligence is an essential factor that triggers employees’ learning ability, knowledge, and information flow, promoting knowledge-sharing behaviors [84]. Moreover, employees’ knowledge-sharing behaviors in the organization contribute to the effective dissemination of technological knowledge and experience, promote the rapid diffusion of new technologies within the enterprise, facilitate the effective integration of different technologies, and strengthen the enhancement of employees’ innovation performance [38]. Therefore, quantum leadership promotes organizational intelligence enhancement by continuously updating its capabilities and adapting to changes in the environment, which in turn enhances organizational learning ability and flexibility, provides an open platform for knowledge learning and exchange among employees, encourages the exchange of experience and skills among employees, and accelerates the dissemination of new technologies and the integration of various technologies, thus promoting innovation within the organization and enhancing employees’ innovation ability, further strengthening innovation performance.

Finally, this study verified the moderating role of innovative culture in knowledge sharing and innovation performance. The results show that innovative culture has a positive moderating effect on knowledge sharing and innovation performance. This suggests that the higher the interaction between innovative culture and knowledge sharing, the higher the innovation performance. Organizational culture is the set of values and beliefs shared by members that have a significant impact on employees’ behaviors in the organizational learning process [85]. In other words, the establishment of culture affects employees’ values and attitudes toward knowledge and knowledge sharing [63]. In organizations, the emergence of an innovative culture will help leaders lead employees to innovate in their work, which will lead to the regrouping of the firm into a new composition and the formation of a new institutional mechanism that will be more positive and proactive in the future [19]. In addition, the flow and interaction of knowledge within an organization facilitates innovation [63]. Therefore, the establishment of an innovative culture will create an atmosphere in the organization that encourages exploration, acceptance of risk, and experimentation with new methods; encourages employees to come up with new ideas; and facilitates mutual learning and rapid access to necessary information through the sharing of experience, knowledge, and best practices, thus accelerating the process of innovation and improving innovation performance.

5.2. Practical Implication

First, in today’s rapidly changing environment, where globalization, shifting values, and the differentiation of customer needs and expectations increase organizational uncertainty and decrease predictability, organizations with quantum leadership are more likely to succeed amid chaos [4]. Quantum leaders view organizations as biological or organismic structures and aim to inspire teams to be passionate about the needs of the overall organization rather than focusing solely on individual interests [8]. They emphasize systems thinking, understanding the interdependencies between parts within an organization, and achieving overall optimization through enhanced synergies. Therefore, it is essential to advocate for organizations to accelerate the development of quantum leadership in times of uncertainty. Exercising and shaping a quantum leadership style enhances overall performance and competitive advantage by promoting cross-functional collaboration, open communication, continuous learning, and employee self-management, thereby ensuring leadership in a rapidly changing market environment.

Second, as a holistic organizational capability, organizational intelligence helps organizations accelerate and streamline processes, improve organizational quality, and develop skills to quickly adapt to future environmental changes [4]. Therefore, in management practices, it is essential to promote and motivate the organization to continuously update, collect, and analyze internal and external data; promote information sharing and knowledge management; encourage cross-functional collaboration and innovation; optimize processes; and automate daily tasks to increase efficiency and productivity. At the same time, strengthening employee training to enhance data literacy and technical skills, encouraging leaders to weigh incentives, absorb work talent, and give full play to employees’ self-competence and intelligence so that individual intelligence can be converted into organizational intelligence, thus promoting the common development of the enterprise and employees.

Third, knowledge-sharing behaviors create and acquire new knowledge in an organization and help knowledge flow through the organization for organizational development [44]. Moreover, a high level of knowledge-sharing behavior increases trust among teams [82]. Therefore, in management practice, organizations should create an active and open organizational learning platform to reduce the cost of acquiring knowledge resources, encourage employees to strengthen their learning abilities, enhance the circulation of knowledge in the organization, and increase their self-worth. Simultaneously, a feedback mechanism should be established to assess the effect of knowledge sharing in a timely manner and to make adjustments and improvements to promote organizational learning and innovation.

Fourth, constructing an innovative culture creates a cultural atmosphere conducive to innovation, including innovative values, innovative systems, innovative behavioral norms, and innovative outputs, encourages innovation, and establishes a solid foundation for the future development of employees and organizations [19]. Moreover, the emergence of an innovative culture will guide employees to take innovation as their value orientation and behavior orientation, stimulate the organizational values of healthy competition and win–win cooperation, and help each other communicate and collaborate to promote the innovation ability of employees and improve the standard of innovation performance [59]. Therefore, in future organizational management practices, emphasis should be placed on strengthening the construction and dissemination of organizational culture, encouraging employees to come up with new ideas, and trying new methods. As shapers and disseminators of organizational culture, leaders should strengthen their self-behavior management to ensure that their values align with the organization, enhance employees’ trust and sense of mission, and increase their motivation to build the organization.

Finally, in a highly volatile environment, innovation performance is key to gaining a competitive advantage [86]. Good innovation performance can help organizations become more flexible and maintain their competitive advantage in future market changes and risks. Therefore, in management practices, organizations should pay attention to employees’ innovation performance and establish clear organizational goals and expectations to help employees understand their responsibilities deeply. Simultaneously, employees should receive the necessary training and development opportunities to continuously improve their skills and knowledge. Leaders should encourage teamwork and knowledge sharing, incentivizing and motivating employees to improve their performance.

5.3. Limitations and Future Research

This study provides an opportunity to validate the impact of the chained serial mediators of organizational intelligence and knowledge sharing on the relationship between quantum leadership and innovation performance, and the moderating aspects of innovative culture provide noteworthy contributions; however, there are some limitations. These are as follows.

First, quantum leadership, as a new leadership paradigm, differs from traditional Newtonian classical mechanics thinking by valuing uncertainty, potential, and opportunity and emphasizing complex, nonlinear change [25]. However, quantum theory does not negate Newtonian theory, and quantum leadership is not a complete overthrow of traditional leadership; different leadership theories have their applicable conditions and scenarios. Analyzing and sorting out the connotation, operation mechanism, and applicable scenarios of different leadership ideas and launching comparative analyses, exchanges, and integrations of the different theories will help to broaden and deepen the existing leadership theoretical system on the one hand and may lead to more new types of leadership theories on the other hand, which will help to improve and deepen the leadership theoretical system and may derive more new types of leadership ideas and models [6]. Therefore, future research should examine and compare the role and impact of other leadership styles in the context of Chinese firms. This will help expand leadership research in the future.

Second, this study examines the role of quantum leadership in Chinese firms. Considering differences in geography and culture, it is essential to conduct similar studies to understand the situation in other countries. Empirical analyses of learning organization systems in different countries and cultural contexts to determine whether similar results can be derived have essential research implications [87]. Therefore, in future research, research results from different regions should be compared based on the background and characteristics involved [88] to better understand the universality and differences of this phenomenon.

Third, this study explores organizational intelligence as an organization’s capability as a whole. However, at the system level, organizational intelligence can be considered as an information system that transforms useful data into knowledge and information that can be used to predict forward-looking trends or reduce decision uncertainty [14]. Therefore, in future research, we will deepen the study of organizational systems at the system level to uncover their importance and explore their impact on organizations and employees.

Fourth, in the era of digital transformation, organizations need to improve organizational procedures, change production processes, introduce precision marketing, and ultimately influence the degree of innovation of the enterprise [89]. However, innovative culture has become the core competency of today’s successful companies [19]. Therefore, this study explores innovative culture as a form of positive organizational culture. However, in a strong organizational culture, the consistency of employee values may lead to a high degree of organizational homogeneity, resulting in a lack of diversity in employees’ perspectives on problems and reduced creativity [62]. Therefore, an overly strong organizational culture can also have a negative effect. In future research, negative organizational culture will be examined, and its negative impacts on organizations and employees will be discussed.

Fifth, the questionnaire was not intentionally categorized, and the participants were mainly employees. We are aware that this methodology may lead to problems with an excessive correlation between variables; therefore, we conclude that there is a common methodological bias (CMB). In future studies, there is a need to enhance the administration of questionnaires from employees on leadership issues, while leaders should answer questions on employees’ attitudes, behaviors, and performance [87] to increase the value of the data.

Finally, this study explains and expects that quantum leadership enhance organizational sustainability by increasing innovative performance. Organizational sustainability is related to various variables in addition to innovative performance. In particular, organizational sustainability can be improved through the relationship between voice behavior and innovative behavior [90]. In addition, shared leadership increases job performance [5] to improve organizational sustainability. Furthermore, information systems success for organizational sustainability [91]. Therefore, future research should cover more diverse variables to increase organizational sustainability and sustainable development. Furthermore, innovation drives to increase sustainable competitive advantage [92]. In addition, most of studies explore positive variables for organizational sustainability. It is also necessary to explore factors that have a negative impact on organizational sustainability. In particular, counterproductive work behavior ultimately reduces organizational performance [93]. In future studies, it is expected to explore negative antecedents of organizational sustainability and verify effectiveness. Furthermore, future research should explore innovation-related variables, suggest ways to improve overall organizational sustainability and sustainable development, and conduct research to provide and verify research models.

6. Conclusions

We integrated the relatively few existing studies and explored the relationship between quantum leadership, organizational intelligence, knowledge sharing, innovative culture, and innovation performance. These studies focused on analyzing the impact of quantum leadership on employee innovation performance and clarified this theory, contributing to the expansion of research in related fields. In addition, by measuring the serial multiple mediating effects of organizational intelligence and knowledge sharing and the moderating effect of innovation culture, we further revealed the impact of quantum leadership on employee innovation performance, highlighting its importance in organizations, thereby helping organizations improve sustainability and competitiveness and laying a solid foundation for future sustainable development.