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Purpose To provide an inventory of leader behaviours likely to enhance employees' innovative behaviour, including idea generation and application behaviour. Design/methodology/approach Based on a combination of literature research and in‐depth interviews, the paper explores leadership behaviours that stimulate employees' idea generation and application behaviour. The study was carried out in knowledge‐intensive service firms (e.g. consultants, researchers, engineers). Findings It was found that there were 13 relevant leadership behaviours. Although innovative behaviour is crucial in such firms, it has received very little attention from researchers. Leaders influence employees' innovative behaviour both through their deliberate actions aiming to stimulate idea generation and application as well as by their more general, daily behaviour. Research limitations/implications Future quantitative research could condense our overview of leader practices, explore which practices are most relevant to employees' idea generation and/or application behaviour, which contingency factors influence the leadership‐innovative behaviour connection and provide information as to whether different practices are relevant in other types of firms. Originality/value Neither the innovation nor the leadership field provides a detailed overview of specific behaviours that leaders might use to stimulate innovation by individual employees. This paper fills that void.
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... In response to this, Hughes et al. (2018) advocate for a shift away from these broad leadership styles to a more nuanced examination of specific leader behaviors, which could enhance our understanding of the fundamental elements of leader influence. A behavior-based approach, therefore, holds promise for providing more precise recommendations on leadership behaviors that effectively promote EIB (Jong & Hartog, 2007;Liehr & Hauff, 2023;Portnova & Peiseniece, 2017). Although some researchers have begun exploring this approach (Jong & Hartog, 2007;Kaudela-Baum & Nussbaum, 2022;Liehr & Hauff, 2023;Vlok, 2012), a cumulative and coherent body of knowledge has yet to emerge. ...
... A behavior-based approach, therefore, holds promise for providing more precise recommendations on leadership behaviors that effectively promote EIB (Jong & Hartog, 2007;Liehr & Hauff, 2023;Portnova & Peiseniece, 2017). Although some researchers have begun exploring this approach (Jong & Hartog, 2007;Kaudela-Baum & Nussbaum, 2022;Liehr & Hauff, 2023;Vlok, 2012), a cumulative and coherent body of knowledge has yet to emerge. ...
... First, we focus on leadership behaviors (rather than broad leadership styles) that specifically foster EIB (Hughes et al., 2018). The existing overemphasis on transformational leadership and related approaches (such as authentic, ethical, and servant leadership) not only prevents practical recommendations but it is also questionable whether these approaches can be used as a means for increasing EIB, as they have been developed in relation to general performance outcomes (e.g., effectiveness or efficiency) rather than innovation-related outcomes (Jong & Hartog, 2007;Mumford & Licuanan, 2004). Thus rather than examining the effects of leadership styles that were not originally designed to promote innovation-specific outcomes (Hughes et al., 2018;Lee et al., 2020), we identify innovation-specific leadership behaviors. ...
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Fostering employees’ innovative work behavior (EIB) has become one of the most important tasks of leaders. Although numerous studies have investigated the relationship between leadership and EIB, it is still unclear which specific leader behaviors promote EIB. Previous research has focused on leadership in terms of broad, non-innovation-specific leadership styles. Behavioral sub-factors have been neglected, and prioritization according to the importance of individual behaviors is still lacking. To address these issues, we identify innovation-specific leader behaviors and analyze which behaviors are best suited to increase EIB. To explain the relationship between the respective leader behaviors and EIB, we rely on the Ability–Motivation–Opportunity (AMO) framework and distinguish between ability-enhancing, motivation-enhancing, and opportunity-enhancing leadership behaviors. Our empirical analyzes are based on data from 1214 German employees. Our findings reveal that motivation- and opportunity-enhancing leadership behaviors foster EIB, with certain innovation-specific behaviors being particularly important for EIB. Building on our results, we provide guidelines for innovation-specific leadership.
... The impact of IWB on work outputs has been the subject of extensive empirical research, as demonstrated by Jong and Hartog (2007). However, there hasn't been much research done in South East Asia, especially in Malaysia; instead, it has mostly concentrated on European and Asian locations. ...
... It is characterised by charisma, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualised consideration (Bass, 1985). Transformational leaders can empower employees by granting autonomy, giving necessary resources, and offering support, which in turn enhances IWB (Jong & Hartog, 2007). They assist employees in discovering distinctive chances for enhancing their knowledge and skills, hence enhancing their work performance. ...
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Innovative work behaviour (IWB) is increasingly recognized as a crucial element for enhancing organizational performance in Malaysian workplaces, particularly in the public sector. This study explores how transformational leadership, transactional leadership, and psychological empowerment relate to innovative work behaviour (IWB) in Malaysian organisations. This study used a quantitative online questionnaire survey and distributed it to collect data from 280 employees in Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor (PKNS). Partial Least Square – Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) statistical technique was employed to analyse the questionnaire survey data collected using Smart-PLS 3.0. The findings show that transformational leadership has significant impacts on IWB, however, there are negative effects for transactional leadership. Psychological empowerment, the interface between transformational and transactional leadership, plays a vital role in facilitating IWB. The study emphasises the significance of cultivating a culture of innovation in Malaysian businesses through the use of transformational leadership styles and the empowerment of employees. The results have significant effects on the enhancement of leadership skills and the formulation of organisational plans within the framework of Industry 4.0.
... These studies suggest some gaps in understanding how these leadership styles influence innovation, particularly among middle managers who are key drivers of organizational change (De Jong & Hartog, 2007;Saeed et al., 2023). This paper can contribute to the existing body of knowledge by further exploring the relationship between TL and IWB, with a focus on middle managers in Malaysian public service organizations. ...
... al., 2024). IWB involves generating and implementing new ideas, products, or processes, which are crucial for organizational performance and innovation (De Jong & Den Hartog, 2007;Farr et al., 2003). The stages of AL, which include exploration and exploitation, require leaders to navigate these complex processes effectively (Alghamdi, 2018). ...
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Transformational leadership, known for inspiring and motivating employees, has been positively linked to creativity and innovation, while ambidextrous leadership, which balances exploration and exploitation behaviors and supports both idea generation and implementation. This article provides a conceptual framework for the influence of transformational and ambidextrous leadership on innovative work behavior (IWB) among PTD officers as middle managers in Malaysian public service. The first proposition is transformational leadership positively influences innovative work behavior. The second proposition is ambidextrous leadership positively influences innovative work behavior. This model will be further tested using a quantitative research method, survey questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS and PLS-SEM. Accordingly, understanding of IWB in public sector settings is enhanced. The findings demonstrate the application of Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and thus offer new theoretical insights and practical suggestions. Thus, this study highlights the importance of work behavior that drives innovation and positive values among employees in determining productivity and efficiency in the public sector, offering valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners.
... IWB also includes the implementation part, which requires more intentionality (De Jong and Hartog, 2007). ...
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Purpose-This paper explores the relationship between managers' decision-making style (DMS) and innovative work behavior (IWB). Our study addresses a notable gap in existing research, as the relationship between DMS and IWB has been unexplored. Design/methodology/approach-We rely on data from a sample of managers from diverse companies in Kosovo to test our hypotheses. We use structural equation modeling for data analysis, and as a complementary test, we perform a necessary condition analysis. Findings-Managers who adopt rational and intuitive decision-making styles tend to demonstrate higher IWB, whereas those who favor dependent, avoiding or spontaneous decision-making styles behave less innovatively. Rational style is a necessary but not sufficient condition for IWB of managers. Practical implications-The innovative work behavior of managers is significantly influenced by their decision-making style. Based on this relationship, our research can contribute to decision-making training, personnel selection and development, career planning and organizational innovation initiatives. Originality/value-Our study is the first to investigate the relationship between decision-making styles and innovative work behavior with a sample of managers. Furthermore, it is the first study to investigate the stylistic determinants of the innovative work behavior of managers in a non-Western context.
... The effect of leadership on employee innovation behavior is not merely a direct result; it involves a more complex process of psychological and behavioral evolution process [15]. According to the "Stimulus-Organism-Response" (SOR) model, the pathway from leadership to employee innovation behavior requires the mediation of psychological factors such as cognition, emotion, and motivation [16]. ...
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Background In the VUCA era, employee innovation behavior is critical to a enterprise success. In China's high power distance and collectivist culture, employee innovation behavior is often influenced by leadership authority, leading to a division between proactive and reactive innovation behavior, with each having a different effect on innovation performance. Innovation is influenced not only by leadership type but also by leadership mindset. As a unidimensional approach focused on bottom-line profits while neglecting other important factors, leader bottom-line mentality (LBLM) and its effect on employee innovation behavior, especially on proactive and reactive innovation, has yet to be thoroughly explored. Understanding this dual influence can help balance short-term profit goals with long-term innovation development. Methods This study employed a two-stage survey method, conducting a questionnaire survey with employees from 13 innovation-driven enterprises, ultimately collecting 351 valid responses. Using SPSS and MPLUS software, the data were analyzed through reliability and validity tests, confirmatory factor analysis, descriptive statistics, and linear regression to validate the proposed research hypotheses. Results the study finds that LBLM has a significantly negative effect on employee proactive innovation behavior but a positive effect on reactive innovation behavior. Moreover, employees' willingness to take risks mediates the relationship between LBLM and employee innovation behavior. At the same time, intrinsic work values negatively moderate the relationship between LBLM and Willingness to take risks, enhancing proactive innovation behavior and reducing reactive innovation behavior. On the other hand, extrinsic work values positively moderate the relationship, enhancing reactive innovation behavior and reducing proactive innovation behavior. Conclusion As a unidimensional mentality, LBLM has a double-edged effect on employee innovation behavior: it positively predicts reactive innovation behavior while negatively predicting proactive innovation behavior. However, this effect is moderated by work values; intrinsic work values weaken the double-edged effect, whereas extrinsic work values enhance its influence.
... Moreover, leaders significantly impact the fostering and shaping of employees' innovative behavior (De Jong and Den Hartog, 2007). Innovative work behavior (IWB) is when employees actively introduce new ideas, products, or services. ...
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... This is what ultimately demands that all components of the nation, especially government bureaucrats and business players, should innovate and foster innovative behavior. Especially in today's business world, companies are required to continue to innovate in order to remain competitive and be able to survive in the long term According to De Jong and Den Hartog (2007), one of the factors considered to have an influence on innovative behavior is leadership. Leadership is one of the factors that determine the success or failure of a company. ...
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... Although researchers vary in their perspectives (e.g., Kanter (1988), Scott & Reginald (1994), Janssen (2000, De Jong & Den Hartog (2007), De Jong & Den Hartog (2010), Messmann & Mulder (2012), Thurlings et al. (2015), and AlEssa & Durugbo (2022a)), over the years, the concept of innovative work behaviour has evolved to reflect a complex pro-active, self-initiated and multi-dimensional construct involving creativity-based work behaviour and implementation-based work behaviour. Problem recognition pertains to creativity-based work behaviour and triggers cycles of innovative work behaviour, while the incorporation of implementation-based work behaviour through idea implementations turns a creative behaviour into an innovative behaviour (Agarwal, 2014;Kimwolo & Cheruiyot, 2019). ...
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... To comprehend customer behaviour regarding the acceptance of new products, innovativeness was initially conceptualised and studied in the fields of consumer behaviour. The study was expanded to contexts such as management and administration (De Jong and Den Hartog, 2007), healthcare (Park and Kim, 2010) and tertiary education (Aldahdouh et al., 2020;Gökçearslan et al., 2017). The relationship between teacher candidates' individual levels of creativity is crucial to understanding how quickly innovations are adopted, how valuable they are perceived to be, how simple they are to use, and under what enabling circumstances they are used. ...
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Incorporating technology into education has become a crucial component of contemporary teaching practices. Technological advancements have led to the development of innovative teaching tools and methodologies that promote active learning and engagement among students. This study used a modified version of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to analyze the key factors that impact the integration of technology in the teaching practice of higher education instructors. Among the factors to be included in the modified model are technostress and teaching tradition. These factors have been rarely examined within the mandatory technology integration in higher education settings. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) is used to analyse the empirical data collected from 657 higher education teachers in Jordan. Findings reveal that teachers’ technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) played a crucial role in facilitating the effective integration of technology into teaching practices. This boosted self-efficacy, personal innovativeness and perceptions of ease of use and usefulness. Additionally, teachers’ TPACK negatively influenced their technostress and teaching tradition. Indeed, technostress and teaching tradition were identified as significant obstacles to the effective integration of technology into teaching practices. Significant implications for theory and practice can be derived from the findings of this study to effectively incorporate technology in higher education.
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