Effect of Leadership Styles on Innovative Behavior: Moderating Role of Occupational Involvement

Abstract

Background and Objective: Considered a key factor in an organization, leadership affects the promotion of innovative behavior of employees in proportion to occupational developments. This study analyzed the effects on leadership styles on innovative behavior with a moderating role of occupational involvement. Methodology: This is an applied descriptive-correlational survey, in which the statistical population included the employees working at an industrial organization of the defense sector. The simple random sampling method was employed to select 218 employees as the statistical sample. A standard questionnaire and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used for data collection and data analysis, respectively. Findings: Transformational and relational leadership styles had the greatest positive effects on the innovative work behavior of employees. Moreover, occupational involvement moderated the relationships between leadership styles and innovative behavior of employees. Conclusion: Developing transformational and relational leadership capabilities and styles of managers at the studied organizations improved the ability and willingness to show innovative behavior in proportion to the nature and diversity of their jobs.

Keywords

• innovative behavior
• leadership styles
• transformational leadership
• exchange leadership
• relational leadership
• occupational involvement