The Relationship between Participative Leadership and Subordinates’ Innovative Behavior: The Serial Multiple Mediating Effects of Knowledge Sharing and Creativity

Abstract

Organizational members’ innovative behavior is a key element that promotes organizational growth and sustainability. With today’s unstable environment of economic and market , the importance of employees’ innovative behavior is being emphasized. The reason is that employees’ innovative behaviors play an important role in securing a organizational competitiveness. Based on this, this study focused on ways to improve employees’ innovation behavior. Specifically, the causal relationship between participatory leadership and employees’ innovative behavior was identified and the influence of innovative behavior was also verified. Furthermore, in the process of participatory leadership influencing employees’ innovative behavior, the serial multiple mediating effect of knowledge sharing and creativity was verified. In order to demonstrate the hyphotheses, this study focused on 237 employees who work in Chinese SMEs. The results of the empirical analysis showed that participatory leadership had a positive effect on knowledge sharing, creativity, and innovative behavior. In addition, the serial multiple mediating effects of knowledge sharing and creativity on the relationship between participatory leadership and innovative behavior was significant. Overall, this study verified the positive role of participatory leadership that enhances employees’ innovative behavior in Chinese SMEs and contributed to expanding the research field related to employees’ innovative behavior through serial multiple mediating model.