THE EFFECT OF EMPOWERING LEADERSHIP ON EMPLOYEES’ INNOVATIVE BEHAVIOR: THE ROLE OF AFFECTIVE COMMITMENT AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EMPOWERMENT

Year 2021, , 479 - 496, 02.09.2021

Yavuz Selim Düger

https://doi.org/10.30794/pausbed.829858

Abstract

In today’s globalized business world where innovation is considered the source of competition, companies develop various strategies to positively influence the behavior of employees, who are the essential factor that achieves innovation. These strategies are built on antecedents, which have a positive effect on employees’ innovative behavior. In this study, a model is proposed to reveal the antecedents of the employees’ innovative behavior. It is aimed to measure the effect of empowering leadership, psychological empowerment, and affective commitment on employees’ innovative behavior, based on the assumption that there is more than one driving force that can affect the employees’ innovative behavior. Besides, it is aimed to empirically investigate the mediating role of psychological empowerment and the moderator role of affective commitment in the relationship between empowering leadership and employees’ innovative behavior. The data were collected from 234 white-collar workers of a ready-made clothing company operating in Istanbul. According to the research results; empowering leadership, psychological empowerment, and affective commitment have a positive impact on the employees’ innovative behavior. However, psychological empowerment mediates, and affective commitment moderates between empowering leadership and employees’ innovative behavior.

Keywords

Empowering leadership, Employees’ innovative behavior, Affective commitment, Psychological empowerment

GÜÇLENDİRİCİ LİDERLİĞİN ÇALIŞANLARIN YENİLİKÇİ DAVRANIŞINA ETKİSİ: DUYGUSAL BAĞLILIK VE PSİKOLOJİK GÜÇLENDİRMENİN ROLÜ

Abstract

İnovasyonun rekabetin kaynağı olarak kabul edildiği günümüzün küreselleşen iş dünyasında, işletmeler inovasyonu yaratan unsur olan çalışanların davranışlarını olumlu yönde yöneltmek için çeşitli stratejiler geliştirmektedir. Bu stratejiler, çalışanların yenilikçi davranışlar sergilemesine olumlu etki eden öncüler üzerine kurgulanmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, çalışanların yenilikçi davranışlarının öncülerini ortaya koyması için bir model önerilmektedir. Çalışanların yenilikçi davranışlarını etkileyebilecek birden fazla itici gücün olduğu varsayımından hareketle, güçlendirici liderlik, psikolojik güçlendirme ve duygusal bağlılığın çalışanların yenilikçi davranışına etkisini ölçmek amaçlanmaktadır. Ayrıca, güçlendirici liderlik ile çalışanların yenilikçi davranışları arasındaki ilişkide psikolojik güçlendirmenin aracı rolü ve duygusal bağlılığın düzenleyici rolünü amprik olarak araştırmak amaçlanmaktadır. İstanbul’da faaliyet gösteren bir hazır giyim firmasının 234 beyaz yaka çalışanından veriler toplanmıştır. Araştırma sonuçlarına göre; güçlendirici liderlik, psikolojik güçlendirme ve duygusal bağlılık çalışanların yenilikçi davranışlarını olumlu yönde etkilemektedir. Ayrıca, güçlendirici liderlik ile çalışanların yenilikçi davranışı arasındaki ilişkide psikolojik güçlendirmenin aracı, duygusal bağlılığında düzenleyici etkisi bulunmaktadır.

Keywords

Güçlendirici liderlik, Çalışanların yenilikçi davranışı, Duygusal bağlılık, Psikolojik güçlendirme

References

• Afsar, B. and Badir, Y. (2016). “The Mediating Role of Psychological Empowerment on the Relationship Between Person-Organization Fit and Innovative Work Behavior”, Journal of Chinese Human Resource Management, 7/1, 5-26.
• Ahearne, M., Mathieu, J. and Rapp, A. (2005). “To Empower or Not to Empower Your Sales Force? An Empirical Examination of the Influence of Leadership Empowerment Behaviour on Customer Satisfaction and Performance”, Journal of Applied Psychology, 9/5, 945-955.
• Akram, T., Lei, S., Haider, M. J. and Hussain, S. T. (2020). “The Impact of Organizational Justice on Employee Innovative Work Behavior: Mediating Role of Knowledge Sharing”, Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 5/2, 117-129.
• Alge, B. J., Ballinger, G. A., Tangirala, S. and Oakley, J. L. (2006). “Information Privacy in Organizations: Empowering Creative and Extrarole Performance”, Journal of Applied Psychology, 91/1, 221-234.
• Allen, N. J. and Meyer, J. P. (1990). “The Measurement and Antecedents of Affective, Continuance and Normative Commitment to the Organization”, Journal of Occupational Psychology, 63/1, 1-18.
• Amundsen, S. and Martinsen, Ø. L. (2014). “Empowering Leadership: Construct Clarification, Conceptualization, and Validation of a New Scale”, The Leadership Quarterly, 25, 487-511.
• Amundsen, S. and Martinsen, Ø. L. (2015). “Linking Empowering Leadership to Job Satisfaction, Work Effort, and Creativity: The Role of Self-Leadership and Psychological Empowerment”, Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 22/3, 304-323.
• Arnold, J. A., Arad, S., Rhoades, J. A., and Drasgow, F. (2000). “The Empowering Leadership Questionnaire: The Construction and Validation of a New Scale for Measuring Leader Behaviors”, Journal of Organizational Behavior, 21, 249-269.
• Atitumpong, A. and Badir, Y. F. (2018). “Leader-Member Exchange, Learning Orientation and Innovative Work Behavior”, Journal of Workplace Learning, 30/1, 32-47.
• Bagheri, A. (2017). “The Impact of Entrepreneurial Leadership on Innovation Work Behavior and Opportunity Recognition in High-Technology SMEs”, The Journal of High Technology Management Research, 28/2, 159-166.
• Baron, R.M. and Kenny, D.A. (1986). “The Moderator–Mediator Variable Distinction in Social Psychological Research: Conceptual, Strategic, and Statistical Considerations”, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51/6, 1173-2001.
• Boudrias, J.-S., Gaudreau, P., Savoie, A., and Morin, A. J. S. (2009). “Employee Empowerment: From Managerial Practices to Employees’ Behavioral Empowerment”, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 30/7, 625-638.
• Bücker, J. and van der Horst, E. (2017). “Innovative Work Behavior: To What Extent and How Can HRM Practices Contribute to Higher Levels of Innovation Within SMEs?”, Issues of Human Resource Management, (Ed: L. Mura), IntechOpen, London.
• Carmeli, A. and Nihal Colakoglu, S. (2005), "The Relationship Between Affective Commitment and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors: The Moderating Role of Emotional Intelligence", The Effect of Affect in Organizational Settings (Research on Emotion in Organizations, Vol. 1), (Ed: Ashkanasy, N.M., Zerbe, W.J. and Härtel, C.E.J.), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Bingley.
• Carmeli, A., Meitar, R. and Weisberg, J. (2006). “Self-leadership Skills and Innovative Behavior at Work”, International Journal of Manpower, 27/1, 75-90.
• Cheong, M., Spain, S.M., Yammarino, F.J. and Yun, S. (2016). “Two Faces of Empowering Leadership: Enabling and Burdening”, The Leadership Quarterly, 27/4, 602-616.
• Choi, S.B., Kim, K., Ullah, S.E. and Kang, S.W. (2016). “How Transformational Leadership Facilitates Innovative Behavior of Korean Workers: Examining Mediating and Moderating Processes”, Personnel Review, 45/3, 459-479.
• Conger, J. A. and Kanungo, R.N. (1988). “The Empowerment Process: Integrating Theory and Practice”, Academy of Management Review, 13/3, 471-482.
• Cropanzano, R. and Mitchell, M. S. (2005). “Social Exchange Theory: An Interdisciplinary Review”, Journal of Management, 31, 874-900.
• De Jong, J. P. J. and Den Hartog, D. N. (2007). “How Leaders Influence Employees’ Innovative Behavior”, Europe Journal of Innovative Management, 10/1, 41-64.
• Dewettinck, K. and van Ameijde, M. (2011). “Linking Leadership Empowerment Behaviour to Employee Attitudes and Behavioural Intentions: Testing the Mediating Role of Psychological Empowerment”, Personnel Review, 40/3, 284-305.
• Düger, Y. S. (2020a). “Ethical Leadership and Innovative Behavior of Employees: A Moderated Mediation Model of Leader Member Exchange and Emotional Intelligence”, Ahi Evran University Journal of Social Sciences Institute, 6/3, 345-364.
• Düger, Y. S. (2020b). “The Effect of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) on Employee Voice and Turnover Intention: The Moderator Role of Psychological Empowerment”, Gaziantep University Journal of Social Sciences, 19/3, 1215-1236.
• Eisenberger, R., Karagonlar, G., Stinglhamber, F., Neves, P., Becker, T. E., Gonzalez-Morales, M. G., and Steiger-Mueller, M. (2010). “Leader–Member Exchange and Affective Organizational Commitment: The Contribution of Supervisor’s Organizational Embodiment”, Journal of Applied Psychology, 95, 1085-1103.
• Erstad, M. (1997). “Empowerment and Organizational Change”, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 9/73, 325-333.
• Fernandez, S. and Moldogaziev, T. (2012). “Using Employee Empowerment to Encourage Innovative Behavior in the Public Sector”, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 23/1, 155-187.
• Garg, S. and Dhar, R. L. (2016). “Extra-Role Customer Service: The Roles of Leader–Member Exchange (LMX), Affective Commitment, and Psychological Empowerment”, International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 17/4, 373-396.
• Gkorezis, P. (2016). “Principal Empowering Leadership and Teacher Innovative Behavior: A Moderated Mediationmodel”, International Journal of Educational Management, 30/6, 1030-1044.
• Hayes, A. F. (2013). Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis, The Guilford Press, New York, NY.
• Humborstad, S. I. W., Nerstad, C. G. L. and Dysvik, A. (2014). “Empowering Leadership, Employee Goal Orientations and Work Performance: A Competing Hypothesis Approach”, Personnel Review, 43/2, 246-271.
• Janssen, O. (2000). “Job Demands, Perceptions of Effort-Reward Fairness and Innovative Work Behavior”, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 73/3, 287-302.
• Jose, P. E. (2013a). MedGraph-I: A Programme to Graphically Depict Mediation Among Three Variables: The Internet Version, version 3.0. Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand. (19.10.2020). https://psychology.victoria.ac.nz/medgraph.
• Jose, P.E. (2013b). ModGraph-I: A Programme to Compute Cell Means for the Graphical Display of Moderational Analyses: The Internet Version, Version 3.0. Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand. (20.10.2020). https://psychology.victoria.ac.nz/modgraph.
• Kalaycı, Ş. (2016). SPSS uygulamalı çok değişkenli istatistik teknikleri, Asil Yayınları, Ankara. Kim, M. and Beehr, T. A. (2018a). “Empowering Leadership: Leading People to Be Present Through Affective Organizational Commitment?”, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 31/16, 2017-2044.
• Kim, M. and Beehr, T.A. (2018b). “Organization-Based Self-Esteem and Meaningful Work Mediate Effects of Empowering Leadership on Employee Behaviors and Well-Being”, Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 25/4, 385-398.
• Konczak L. J., Stelly D. J. and Trusty M. L. (2000). “Defining and Measuring Empowering Leader Behaviors: Development of an Upward Feedback Instrument”, Educational and Psychological Measurement, 60/2, 301-313.
• Kundu, S. C., Kumar, S. and Gahlawat, N. (2019). “Empowering Leadership and Job Performance: Mediating Role of Psychological Empowerment”, Management Research Review, 42/5, 605-624.
• Leach, D. J., Wall, T. D. and Jackson, P. R. (2003). “The Effect of Empowerment on Job Knowledge: An Empirical Test Involving Operators of Complex Technology”, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 76, 27-52.
• Lee, S., Cheong, M., Kim, M. and Yun, S. (2017). “Never Too Much? the Curvilinear Relationship Between Empowering Leadership and Task Performance”, Group & Organization Management, 42/1, 11-38.
• Lin, Y. and Wu, J. (2018). “A Study of the Effects of Leadership Styles on Innovation Management and Organizational Innovation in Environmental Protection Industry”, Ekoloji, 27/106, 771-777.
• Liu, W., Lepak, D. P., Takeuchi, R. and Sims, Jr., H. P. (2003). “Matching Leadership Styles with Employment Modes: Strategic Human Resource Management Perspective”, Human Resource Management Review, 13/1, 127-152.
• Ma, Y., Cheng, W., Ribbens, B.A. and Zhou, J. (2013). “Linking Ethical Leadership to Employee Creativity: Knowledge Sharing and Self-Efficacy as Mediators”, Social Behavior and Personality: an International Journal, 41/9, 1409-1419.
• Maynard, M. T., Gilson, L. L., and Mathieu, J. (2012). “Empowerment—Fad or Fab? A Multilevel Review of the Past Two Decades of Research”, Journal of Management, 38/4, 1231-1281.
• Meyer, J. P. and Allen, N. J. (1991). “A Three-Component Conceptualization of Organizational Commitment”, Human Resource Management Review, 1, 61-89.
• Meyer, J. P., Allen, N. J. and Smith, C. A. (1993). “Commitment to Organizations and Occupations: Extension and Test of a Three-Component Conceptualization”, Journal of Applied Psychology, 78, 538-551.
• Meyer, J. P., Stanley, D. J., Herscovitch, L. and Topolnytsky, L. (2002). “Affective, Continuance, and Normative Commitment to the Organization: A Meta-analysis of Antecedents, Correlates, and Consequences”, Journal of Vocational Behavior, 61/1, 20-52.
• Midgley, D. F. and Dowling, G. R. (1978). “Innovativeness: The Concept and its Measurement”, Journal of Consumer Research, 4/1, 229-242.
• Mowday, R., Steers, R. and Porter, L., (1979). “The Measurement of Organizational Commitment”. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 14, 224-247.
• Mutonyi, B.R., Slatten, T. and Lien, G. (2020). “Empowering Leadership, Work Group Cohesiveness, Individual Learning Orientation and Individual Innovative Behaviour in The Public Sector: Empirical Evidence from Norway”, International Journal of Public Leadership, 16/2, 175-197.
• Nazir, S., Shafi, A., Atif, M. M., Qun, W. and Abdullah, S. M. (2019). “How Organization Justice and Perceived Organizational Support Facilitate Employees’ Innovative Behavior at Work”, Employee Relations, 41/6, 1288-1311.
• Odoardi, C., Battistelli, A., Montani, F. and Peiró, J. M. (2019). “Affective Commitment, Participative Leadership, and Employee Innovation: A Multilevel Investigation”, Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 35, 103-113.
• Peng, Y.-P. (2020). “Relationship Between Job Involvement, Leader-Member Exchange, and Innovative Behavior of Public Librarians”, Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 52/2, 441-450.
• Preacher, K. J. and Hayes, A. F. (2004). “SPSS and SAS Procedures for Estimating Indirect Effects in Simple Mediation Models”, Behavior Research Methods, 36/4, 717-731.
• Ramamoorthy, N., Flood, P.C., Slattery, T. and Sardessai, R. (2005). “Determinants of Innovative Work Behaviour: Development and Test of an Integrated Model”, Creativity and Innovation Management, 14/2, 142-150.
• Rao Jada, U., Mukhopadhyay, S. and Titiyal, R. (2019). “Empowering Leadership and Innovative Work Behavior: A Moderated Mediation Examination”, Journal of Knowledge Management, 23/5, 915-930.
• Raub, S., and Robert, C. (2010). “Differential Effects of Empowering Leadership on In-Role and Extra-Role Employee Behaviors: Exploring the Role of Psychological Empowerment and Power Values”, Human Relations, 63/11, 1743-1770.
• Rhoades, L., Eisenberger, R. and Armeli, S. (2001). “Affective Commitment to the Organization: The Contribution of Perceived Organizational Support”, Journal of Applied Psychology, 86/5, 825-836.
• Riketta, M. (2002). “Attitudinal Organizational Commitment and Job Performance: A Meta-Analysis”, Journal of Organizational Behavior, 23/3, 257-266.
• Rousseau, D. M. (1998). “The ‘Problem’ of the Psychological Contract Considered”, Journal of Organizational Behavior, 19, 665-671.
• Schumpeter, J. A. (1986). History of Economic Analysis. Oxford University Press, New York.
• Scott, S.G. and Bruce, R.A. (1994). “Determinants of Innovative Behavior: A Path Model of Individual Innovation in The Workplace”, Academy of Management Journal, 37/3, 580-607.
• Seibert, S. E., Wang, G. and Courtright, S. H. (2011). “Antecedents and Consequences of Psychological and Team Empowerment in Organizations: A Meta‐Analytic Review”, Journal of Applied Psychology, 96/5, 981-1003.
• Shevlin, M. and Miles, J. N. V. (1998). “Effects of Sample Size, Model Specification and Factor Loadings on the GFI in Confirmatory Factor Analysis”, Personality and Individual Differences, 25/1, 85-90.
• Shore, T., Bommer, W. and Shore, L. (2008). “An Integrative Model of Managerial Perceptions of Employee Commitment: Antecedents and Influences on Employee Treatment”, Journal of Organizational Behavior, 29, 635-655.
• Spreitzer, G.M. (1995). “Psychological Empowerment in the Workplace: Dimensions, Measurement, and Validation”, The Academy of Management Journal, 38/5, 1442-1465.
• Srivastava, A., Bartol, K.M. and Locke, E.A. (2006). “Empowering Leadership in Management Teams: Effects on Knowledge Sharing, Efficacy, and Performance”, Academy of Management Journal, 49/6, 1239-1251.
• Tung, H. and Chang, Y. (2011). “Effects of Empowering Leadership on Performance in Management Team: Mediating Effects of Knowledge Sharing and Team Cohesion”, Journal of Chinese Human Resource Management, 2/1, 43-60.
• Van de Ven, A.H., (1986). “Central Problems in the Management of Innovation”, Management Sciences, 32/5, 590-607.
• Wang, D., Gan, C. and Wu, C. (2016). “LMX and Employee Voice: A Moderated Mediation Model of Psychological Empowerment and Role Clarity”, Personnel Review, 45/3, 605-615.
• Wong, S.I. and Kuvaas, B. (2018), “The Empowerment Expectation–Perception Gap: An Examination of Three Alternative Models”, Human Resource Management Journal, 28/2, 272-287.
• Xerri, M. J. and Brunetto, Y. (2013). “Fostering Innovative Behaviour: The Importance of Employee Commitment and Organisational Citizenship Behaviour”, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 24/16, 3163-3177.
• Yidong, T. and Xinxin, L. (2013). “How Ethical Leadership Influence Employees’ Innovative Work Behavior: A Perspective of Intrinsic Motivation”, Journal of Business Ethics, 116, 441-455.
• Zehra, T.T. and Waheed, A. (2017). “Influence of Ethical Leadership on Innovative Work Behavior: Examination of Individual-Level Psychological Mediators”, Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences, 11/2, 448-470.
• Zhang, X. and Bartol, K. M. (2010). “Linking Empowering Leadership and Employee Creativity: The Influence of Psychological Empowerment, Intrinsic Motivation, and Creative Process Engagement”, Academy of Management Journal, 53/1, 107-128.