Leading for Innovation

Leading for Innovation: Self-Efficacy and Work Engagement as Sequential Mediation Relating Ethical Leadership and Innovative Work Behavior

This research investigated the link between ethical leadership and innovative work behavior by examining the role of self-efficacy as a mediating factor and the sequential mediation of self-efficacy and work engagement. Using a survey approach, data were collected from 441 bank employees in the southern region of Thailand. The findings of the structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis revealed an association between ethical leadership and innovative work behavior and self-efficacy, respectively. Work engagement and innovative work behavior were both linked to self-efficacy. Work engagement was associated with innovative work behavior. According to the mediation analysis results, self-efficacy appeared to mediate the relationship between ethical leadership and innovative work behavior. Ultimately, it was shown that self-efficacy and work engagement were sequentially mediated by ethical leadership and innovative work behavior. This research provides insight into the understanding of the connection between ethical leadership and innovative work behavior. The key contributions of this research are the exploration-mediating function of self-efficacy and the sequential mediation roles of self-efficacy and work engagement.

Can ethical leaders enhance their followers’ creativity?

This study examined the mediating role of leader–member exchange and psychological empowerment in the relationship between ethical leadership and employee creativity. Survey data were collected from 172 doctors who were working in a large public sector hospital located in Pakistan. Results showed that as hypothesized, leader–member exchange and psychological empowerment fully mediated the effects of ethical leadership on employee creativity. Additionally, it was found that leader–member exchange influenced creativity directly as well as indirectly through the mediating mechanism of psychological empowerment. The theoretical and practical implications of this research are discussed.

Influencing factors of innovation for Turkish companies

Purpose

In this study, some of the internal and external determinants of innovation for Turkish companies are examined. The purpose of this paper is to determine which factors significantly influence innovativeness of Turkish companies.

Design/methodology/approach

The study begins with literature research. The knowledge gained from literature is used to develop a research model, which displays internal and external determinants of innovation and innovation types as product and process innovations. In order to test the model, the data of “Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey”, provided by the World Bank, are used. The data are collected from 1,152 Turkish companies in 2008. Some statistical tests are conducted to determine significant relations between the determinants of innovation and innovation types. Finally, results are discussed in the light of previous literature.

Findings

The authors' results provide clues that the companies involved in product innovation activities mostly perform process innovations. There is also a group of companies which invest in capabilities, but are not involved in any of the innovative activities. R&D activities, licensed technology usage, formal training programs, and experience of managers are significant internal factors, although the investments accomplished are not significant. International relations are an outstanding external factor for Turkish companies.

Research limitations/implications

The data used in this study come from secondary source data, and it is not aimed at exploring innovation‐related issues. Also, this study does not aim to rank influencing factors for Turkish companies. Thus, it is not possible to reach a conclusion that compares internal and external factors.

Originality/value

This is a pioneer study that deals with internal and external influencing factors of both product and process innovations for Turkish companies.