Mediating role of innovative climate among leadership and employee performance in textile exporting firms of Pakistan

This research seeks to examine how transformational leadership and ambidextrous leadership impact employee performance. The study focuses on the mediating role of innovation climate in influencing the relationship both directly and indirectly with employee performance. Previous literature shows that many studies have been conducted to measure the employee’s performance under the leadership. Still, no study has covered the mediating role of innovation climate between leadership and employee performance. The present study aims at filling that gap through the presentation of a statistical model. Respondents in the sample included the managerial staff of textile exporting firms of Pakistan. Multiple linear regression and the PROCESS for mediation model in the SPSS was used to analyze the collected data. The results indicated that the CEO transformational leadership and ambidextrous leadership had a significantly positive influence on employee performance. In addition, innovation climate was found to have a strong mediating effect. The researchers recommended the exploration of the impact of other possible moderating variables in future researches. Recommendations were also made for the top management of textile firms for the consideration of innovation climate along with the improvement of employee performance.

Influence of entrepreneurial ambidextrous leadership on ambidextrous innovation: An integrated model construction of ‘cognitive/affective’ composite perspective in Chinese context

BACKGROUND: China’s 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035 clearly points out that it is necessary to implement innovation driven strategy, promote enterprise technological innovation, and better play the important role of entrepreneurs in enterprise technological innovation. Therefore, it is of great significance to explore the impact of entrepreneurial leadership on enterprises’ technological innovation. OBJECTIVE: From the perspective of technological innovation stream, we divide ambidextrous innovation into mainstream innovation and new stream innovation. Integrating ambidexterity theory, innovation streams theory and cognitive affective personality system theory (CAPS), we explore the mediating mechanism of entrepreneurial ambidextrous leadership on ambidextrous innovation from cognitive path, affective path and cognitive-affective compound path. METHODS: Based on the data collected from 254 top managers in 12 provinces in China, we conducted descriptive statistical analysis, reliability and validity analysis, regression analysis and bootstrap mediating effect test on the sample data. RESULTS: Our empirical results revealed that: 1) entrepreneurial ambidextrous leadership positively related with the ambidextrous innovation; 2) organizational paradoxical cognition plays a partly mediating role between ambidextrous leadership and ambidextrous innovation; 3) organizational affective conflict plays a partly mediating role between ambidextrous leadership and ambidextrous innovation; 4) organizational paradoxical cognition negatively related with organizational affective conflict; 5) organizational paradoxical cognition and organizational affective conflict play a chain mediating role between entrepreneurial ambidextrous leadership and ambidextrous innovation. CONCLUSIONS: Combined with the cognitive affective personality system theory, our research explores the mediating mechanism of entrepreneurial ambidextrous leadership on ambidextrous innovation from cognitive path and affective path and “cognitive-affective” compound path, which not only have great theoretical contributions, but also have important significance in enterprise management practice.

Ambidextrous leadership: a narrative literature review for theory development and directions for future research

PurposeThis study seeks to provide a narrative literature review of existing empirical research, in order to better understand the processes and theory of ambidextrous leadership, as well as its influence on followers, employees and organizations.Design/methodology/approachData from 26 studies were extracted and synthesied providing a critical discussion about the methodological and theoretical aspects of the studies identified in the review.FindingsIt was revealed the attributes for an effective ambidextrous leader, it was presented the recently proposed concept of ambidextrous leadership theory and it was noticed the main criticisms against the findings of the extant ambidextrous leadership literature. It was also identified many research gaps in the literature which in turn can guide academics in the development of ambidextrous leadership.Research limitations/implicationsThe ambidextrous leadership theory represents a novel and unique approach to the domain of leadership for creativity and innovation. It is shared across hierarchical levels throughout the organization. Leaders have a significant effect on employees' behaviors and should determine its applicability to different situations. Organizations require ambidextrous managers who combine flexible, situational and versatile leadership styles developing ever increasingly new and divergent ideas. Many research gaps in the literature were also identified that can guide academics in the development of ambidextrous leadership.Practical implicationsUnderstanding that ambidextrous leadership is required to significantly influence ambidexterity and innovation allows organizations to direct their leadership selection and development.Originality/valueThis review contributes to the ambidextrous leadership literature by creating a holistic picture of where it has been and where it should go.