How leaders influence employees' innovative behaviour

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.

[1]  N. Nayab.  Kaizen: The key to Japan‚s competitive success , 2009 .

[2]  Léo F. C. Bruno,et al.  LEADERSHIP AND PERFORMANCE BEYOND EXPECTATIONS , 2008 .

[3]  R. Burke,et al.  Leadership in organizations , 2006 .

[4]  John Cullen,et al.  Democratizing Innovation , 2020, Encyclopedia of Creativity, Invention, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

[5]  Luc W. Dorenbosch,et al.  On-the-Job Innovation: The Impact of Job Design and Human Resource Management Through Production Ownership , 2005 .

[6]  Dorothy A. Leonard,et al.  When Sparks Fly: Harnessing the Power of Group Creativity , 2005 .

[7]  D. Hislop.  Knowledge Management in Organizations: A critical introduction , 2005 .

[8]  Onne Janssen,et al.  Employees' goal orientations, the quality of leader-member exchange, and the outcomes of job performance and job satisfaction , 2004 .

[9]  Jean Hartley,et al.  Case study research , 2004 .

[10]  B. Nijstad,et al.  The routinization of innovation research: A constructively critical review of the state-of-the-science , 2004 .

[11]  M. Basadur.  Leading others to think innovatively together: Creative leadership , 2004 .

[12]  C. Shalley,et al.  WHAT LEADERS NEED TO KNOW: A REVIEW OF SOCIAL AND CONTEXTUAL FACTORS THAT CAN FOSTER OR HINDER CREATIVITY , 2004 .

[13]  D. E. Krause.  Influence-based leadership as a determinant of the inclination to innovate and of innovation-related behaviors: An empirical investigation , 2004 .

[14]  Teresa M. Amabile,et al.  Leader Behaviors and the Work Environment for Creativity: Perceived Leader Support , 2004 .

[15]  Michael D. Mumford,et al.  Leading for innovation: Conclusions, issues, and directions , 2004 .

[16]  B. Ehigie,et al.  Roles of perceived leadership styles and rewards in the practice of total quality management , 2004 .

[17]  Jing Zhou,et al.  Transformational Leadership, Conservation, and Creativity: Evidence From Korea , 2003 .

[18]  S. Shane.  A General Theory of Entrepreneurship: The Individual-Opportunity Nexus , 2003 .

[19]  Diether Gebert,et al.  The Risks of Autonomy: Empirical Evidence for the Necessity of a Balance Management in Promoting Organizational Innovativeness , 2003 .

[20]  Shelley D. Dionne,et al.  Leading for creativity: The role of unconventional leader behavior , 2003 .

[21]  John J. Sosik,et al.  Effects of leadership style, anonymity, and rewards on creativity-relevant processes and outcomes in an electronic meeting system context , 2003 .

[22]  M. Mumford.  Where Have We Been, Where Are We Going? Taking Stock in Creativity Research , 2003 .

[23]  Paul Harborne,et al.  Creating a project climate for successful product innovation , 2003 .

[24]  Reviewed by M Tayeb.  Handbook of Cross-Cultural Management , 2003 .

[25]  P. Zwart.  Handboek ondernemers en adviseurs: management en economie van het Midden- en Kleinbedrijf , 2003 .

[26]  P. Risseeuw,et al.  Handboek Ondernemers & Adviseurs: Management en Economie van het Midden- en Kleinbedrijf , 2003 .

[27]  Sharon K. Parker,et al.  Proactivity and Innovation: Promoting a New Workforce for the New Workplace , 2003 .

[28]  Robert G. Cooper,et al.  Profitable Product Innovation: The Critical Success Factors , 2003 .

[29]  M. Mumford,et al.  Leading creative people: Orchestrating expertise and relationships , 2002 .

[30]  Jan Kees Looise,et al.  Innovation through exemptions: building upon the existing creativity of employees , 2002 .

[31]  H. Sarfati.  The job creation potential of the service sector in Europe , 2002 .

[32]  M. West.  Sparkling Fountains or Stagnant Ponds: An Integrative Model of Creativity and Innovation Implementation in Work Groups , 2002 .

[33]  Tomas Hellström,et al.  Highways, Alleys and By-Lanes: Charting the Pathways for Ideas and Innovation in Organizations , 2002 .

[34]  Rodney McAdam,et al.  Individual and team‐based idea generation within innovation management: organisational and research agendas , 2002 .

[35]  N. Anderson,et al.  Managing innovation and change : a critical guide for organizations , 2002 .

[36]  Natasa Rupcic,et al.  The fifth discipline-the art and practice of the learning organisation , 2002 .

[37]  Donald Storrie,et al.  The job creation potential of the service sector in Europe , 2002 .

[38]  S. T. Beyerlein,et al.  Team Performance Management , 2001 .

[39]  P. Koopman,et al.  Leadership in Organizations , 2001 .

[40]  C. Shalley,et al.  Effects of social-psychological factors on creative performance: the role of informational and controlling expected evaluation and modeling experience. , 2001, Organizational behavior and human decision processes.

[41]  Andrew P. McAfee,et al.  Race against the machine : how the digital revolution is accelerating innovation, driving productivity, and irreversibly transforming employment and the economy , 2011 .

[42]  M. Alvesson.  Social Indentity And The Problem of Loyalty In Knowledge‐Intensive Companies , 2000 .

[43]  Kerrie L. Unsworth,et al.  Shopfloor innovation: Facilitating the suggestion and implementation of ideas , 2000 .

[44]  M. Mumford.  Managing Creative People: Strategies and Tactics for Innovation , 2000 .

[45]  Onne Janssen.  Job demands, perceptions of effort-reward fairness and innovative work behaviour , 2000 .

[46]  Rinaldo Evangelista,et al.  Sectoral Patterns Of Technological Change In Services , 2000 .

[47]  Winfried Ruigrok,et al.  HILTI AG: Shared Leadership and the Rise of the Communicating Organization , 2000 .

[48]  L. Ryhammar,et al.  The Creative Climate: Its Determinants and Effects at a Swedish University , 1999 .

[49]  G. Graen,et al.  AN EXAMINATION OF LEADERSHIP AND EMPLOYEE CREATIVITY: THE RELEVANCE OF TRAITS AND RELATIONSHIPS , 1999 .

[50]  Adam Brand,et al.  Knowledge Management and Innovation at 3M , 1998, J. Knowl. Manag..

[51]  John J. Sosik,et al.  Transformational Leadership and Dimensions of Creativity: Motivating Idea Generation in Computer-Mediated Groups , 1998 .

[52]  José F.B. Gieskes,et al.  Proceedings of the 2nd International; EuroCINet conference on Continuous Improvement: from idea to reality 14-15 september 1998 , 1998 .

[53]  R. Verburg,et al.  Charisma and rhetoric: Communicative techniques of international business leaders , 1997 .

[54]  Robert S. Dooley,et al.  The New Task of R&D Management: Creating Goal-Directed Communities for Innovation , 1997 .

[55]  Stephen G. Green,et al.  Leader-Member Exchange and Transformational Leadership: An Empirical Examination of Innovative Behaviors in Leader-Member Dyads , 1997 .

[56]  Paul E. Tesluk,et al.  Influences of Organizational Culture and Climate on Individual Creativity. , 1997 .

[57]  Ian McLoughlin,et al.  Innovation, Organizational Change and Technology , 1996 .

[58]  R. Eisenberger,et al.  Detrimental effects of reward. Reality or myth? , 1996, The American psychologist.

[59]  Douglas D. Moesel,et al.  The Market for Corporate Control and Firm Innovation , 1996 .

[60]  Jon Sundbo.  The balancing of empowerment. A strategic resource based model of organizing innovation activities in service and low-tech firms , 1996 .

[61]  Gregory P. Smith.  The New Leader: Bringing Creativity and Innovation to the Workplace , 1996 .

[62]  G. R. Oldham,et al.  Employee Creativity: Personal and Contextual Factors at Work , 1996 .

[63]  S. Scott,et al.  DETERMINANTS OF INNOVATIVE BEHAVIOR: A PATH MODEL OF INDIVIDUAL INNOVATION IN THE WORKPLACE , 1994 .

[64]  J. Frischer.  Empowering management in new product development units , 1993 .

[65]  M. Mumford,et al.  Putting Creativity to Work: Effects of Leader Behavior on Subordinate Creativity , 1993 .

[66]  A. Bryman.  Charisma And Leadership In Organizations , 1993 .

[67]  A. Strauss,et al.  Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. , 1992 .

[68]  Michael E. Wallace,et al.  Innovation in health care teams. , 1991 .

[69]  Christina E. Shalley,et al.  Effects of Productivity Goals, Creativity Goals, and Personal Discretion on Individual Creativity , 1991 .

[70]  A. Strauss.  Basics Of Qualitative Research , 1992 .

[71]  J. Kotter.  A force for change : how leadership differs from management , 1990 .

[72]  K. Eisenhardt.  Building theories from case study research , 1989, STUDI ORGANIZZATIVI.

[73]  Michael A. West,et al.  A measure of role innovation at work , 1987 .

[74]  G. Graen,et al.  Toward a psychology of dyadic organizing. , 1987 .

[75]  A. V. D. Ven,et al.  Central problems in the management of innovation , 1986 .

[76]  K. Pavitt.  Sectoral Patterns of Technical Change : Towards a Taxonomy and a Theory : Research Policy , 1984 .

[77]  R. Yin.  Case Study Research: Design and Methods , 1984 .

[78]  H. Hurt,et al.  SCALES FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF INNOVATIVENESS , 1977 .

[79]  Gilbert A. Churchill,et al.  Marketing Research: Methodological Foundations , 1976 .

[80]  J. T. Barnowe,et al.  Leadership and performance outcomes in research organizations: The supervisor of scientists as a source of assistance , 1975 .

[81]  G. Schumacher,et al.  Age and Set in Creative Test Performance , 1975, Psychological reports.

[82]  F. M. Andrews,et al.  SUPERVISORY PRACTICES AND INNOVATION IN SCIENTIFIC TEAMS , 1967 .

[83]  D. Katz,et al.  The motivational basis of organizational behavior. , 1964, Behavioral science.

[84]  D. Hamberg,et al.  Invention in the Industrial Research Laboratory , 1963, Journal of Political Economy.