Impact of Inclusive Leadership on Innovative Work Behavior: The Role of Creative Self‐Efficacy

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between the relational mode of leadership (i.e., inclusive leadership) and innovative work behavior with the mediating role of creative self-efficacy. Data were collected from employees of small and medium textile enterprises in Pakistan. Results show that there is a positive relationship between inclusive leadership and innovative work behavior. While aligned with previous research, the results of this study confirm the mediating role of creative self-efficacy in inclusive leadership-innovative work behavior relationships. Based on its findings, this study recommends that human resource (HR) managers prioritize the hiring of leaders possessing inclusive attributes such as openness, availability, and accessibility. Additionally, the results of this study indicate that, in order to successfully implement new changes, it is important that HR managers hire employees evidencing innovative work behavior in a work setting.

Moderating Multiple Mediation Model of the Impact of Inclusive Leadership on Employee Innovative Behavior

“…When the enterprise leaders show inclusive leadership, the creative self-efficacy of employees improves, which stimulates their innovative behavior. This finding supports the notion that creative self-efficacy mediates the relationship between inclusive leadership and innovative behavior (Javed et al, 2020 ). Moreover, the findings extend the social cognitive theory by providing the empirical evidence of the mediating effect of both psychological safety and creative self-efficacy on the relationship of inclusive leadership and employee innovative behavior.…”

“…Although the mediating effect of psychological safety between the relationship of inclusive leadership and employee innovative behavior has been explained (Carmeli et al, 2010 ; Javed et al, 2017 ; Zhu et al, 2019 ; Mansoor et al, 2020 ), previous research mainly rely on the leader–member exchange theory that focuses on the relational mechanism. Moreover, to date, limited research has attended to explore the mediating effect of creative self-efficacy between the relationship of inclusive leadership and employee innovative behavior (Javed et al, 2020 ). This study responds to this call by investigating the role of creative self-efficacy as a mediating mechanism in the relationship between inclusive leadership and employee innovative behavior (Javed et al, 2017 ).…”

“…Based on these findings, this study recommends that organizations can take active measures to promote inclusive leadership through the human resource management practices. Firstly, organizations can adopt a practice of prioritizing the hiring of managers who possess inclusive attributes such as openness, availability, and accessibility (Javed et al, 2020 ). Secondly, organizations can promote the inclusive behavior of managers through leadership training.…”

“…Based on these findings, this study suggests that organizations and managers must pay more attention to enhance the creative self-efficacy of employees. On one hand, managers must exhibit inclusive behaviors to encourage employee innovative behavior by enhancing their creative self-efficacy, for example, providing employees autonomy in their activities related to their particular job (Javed et al, 2020 ), and providing guidance and assistance when employees encounter difficulties (Ye et al, 2018 ). On the other hand, as creative self-efficacy is an individual recognition of his/her own ability, organizations can establish a training system to improve the skill and ability of employees, which can enhance their creative self-efficacy.…”

“…Previous literature studies have shown that demographic variables may influence employee innovative behavior including age, gender, education, department, and time spent working with the current leader (e.g., Carmeli et al, 2010 ; Javed et al, 2017 , 2020 ; Fang et al, 2019 ; Su et al, 2019 ; Wang et al, 2019 ). Thus, gender, age, education, department, and time spent working with the current leader were chosen as control variables in this study.…”