TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND INDIVIDUAL CREATIVITY: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF INTRINSIC MOTIVATION

Abstract

Purpose- It is assumed that transformational leadership as an organizational context might have a significant effect on the development of individual creativity capabilities within followers. Further, it is argued that intrinsic motivation mediates the transformational leadership behavior - individual creativity link, which we empirically know little about so far.

Methodology- Given hypothesis were investigated by using 304 questionnaires from 61 manufacturing companies operating in Eastern Marmara region. To more vigorously test the proposed model, partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed with SmartPLS 3.0 statistical program.

Findings- The findings suggest that transformational leadership is an important tool that enhance individual creativity. The SEM results revealed that transformational leadership is positively associated with individual creativity and the effect of transformational leadership on individual creativity is partially mediated by inspirational motivation, which means both of our hypothesis are supported. 

Conclusion- According to the findings, transformational leaders provide their followers’ with recognition, provide a vision towards future; they act as role models and promote followers’ commitment. They encourage the followers to take risks, increase their energy to generate novel ideas and solutions. As a result, followers with increased self-confidence become more inspired motivated and creative. Additionally,  these followers, through the way that their leaders behave them, are inspired and motivated to be more creative in doing their tasks. Partially through inspirational motivation transformational leaders can stimulate the creative capabilities of followers. Finally, this study reveals the fact that the effect of transformational leadership is partially mediated by inspirational mediation. 

Keywords

• Transformational leadership,intrinsic motivation,individual creativity

References

1. Akgün, A. E., Keskin, H., Byrne, J. C., & Ilhan, Ö. Ö. (2014), “Complex adaptive system mechanisms, adaptive management practices, and firm product innovativeness”, R&D Management, 44(1), 18-41.
2. Amabile, T.M., Conti, R., Coon, H., Lazenby, J. and Herron, M. (1996), “Assessing the work environment for creativity”, Academy of Management Journal, 39 (5), pp.1154–1184.
3. Amabile, T.M., Schatzel, E.A., Moneta, G.B. and Kramer, S.J. (2004), “Leader behaviors and the work environment for creativity: perceived leader support”, Leadership Quarterly, 15 (1), pp.5–32.
4. Amabile, T.M. (1983), “The social psychology of creativity”, New York: Springer-Verlag.
5. Antonakis, J. and House, R.J. (2002),” The full-range leadership theory: The way forward”. In B.J.Avolio & F.J. Yammarino (Eds.), Transformational and charismatic leadership: the road ahead (pp. 3-34). Amsterdam: JAI.
6. Avolio, B.J., Bass, B.M. and Jung, D.I. (1999), “Re-examining the components of transformational and transactional leadership using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire”, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 72 (4), pp.441–463.
7. Baron, R. and Kenny, D. (1986), “The moderator–mediator variable distinction in social psychological research”, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 6, pp.1173–1182.
8. Bass, B.M. (1990), “From transactional to transformational leadership: learning to share the vision”, Organizational Dynamics, 18 (3), pp.19–32.

9. Bass, B.M. (1995),” Transformational leadership”, Journal of Management Inquiry, 4 (3), pp.293–298.
10. Bass, B.M. (1985),” Leadership and Performance beyond expectations”. New York: Free Press.
11. Bass, B.M. and Avolio, B.J. (1995), “MLQ Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire”, Technical report. Redwood City, CA: Mind Garden.
12. Bass, B.M., Avolio, B.J., Jung, D.I. and Benson, Y. (2003), “Predicting unit performance by assessing transformational and transactional leadership”, Journal of Applied Psychology, 88, No. 2, pp.207-218.
13. Bass, B.M. and Avolio, B.J. (1990), “Developing Transformational Leadership: 1992 and Beyond”, Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol. 14, Issue: 5.
14. Burns, J.M. (1978), “Leadership”. New York: Harper & Row.
15. Conchie, S.M. (2013),” Transformational Leadership, Intrinsic Motivation, and Trust: A Moderated-Mediated Model of Workplace Safety”, Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 18(2), pp. 198-210.
16. Deci, E.L. and Ryan, R.M. (1985), “Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior”. New York: Plenum Press.
17. Dong, Y., Bartol, K.M., Zhang, Z. and Li, C. (2017), “Enhancing employee creativity via individual skill development and team knowledge sharing: Influences of dual-focused transformational leadership”, Journal of Organizational Behavior, 38, pp. 439–458.
18. Dvir, T., Eden, D., Avolio, B.J. and Shamir, B. (2002), “Impact of transformational leadership on follower development and performance: a field experiment”, Academy of Management Journal, 45 (4), 735–744.
19. Eisenbeiß, S.A. and Boerner, S. (2013), “A Double-edged Sword: Transformational Leadership and Individual Creativity”, British Journal of Management, Vol. 24, Issue 1, pp.54-68.
20. Eliophotou-Menon, M. and Ioannou, A. (2016), “The Link Between Transformational Leadership and Teachers’ Job Satisfaction, Commitment, Motivation to Learn, and Trust in The Leader”, Academy of Educational Leadership Journal, 20 (3), pp. 12-22.
21. Elkins, T. and Keller, R.T. (2003), “Leadership in research and development organizations: a literature review and conceptual framework”, Leadership Quarterly, 14, pp.587–606.
22. Fornell, C. and Larcker, D.F. (1981), “Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error”, Journal of Marketing Research, 18, 1, pp.39–51.
23. Gong, Y., Huang, J.C. and Farh, J.L. (2009), “Employee learning orientation, transformational leadership, and employee creativity: The mediating role of employee creative self-efficacy”, Academy of Management Journal, 52 (4), pp.765-778.
24. Greenberg, J. and Baron, R.A. (2000), “Behavior in organizations: Understanding and managing the human side of work”, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
25. Gumusluoglu, L. and Ilsev, A. (2009),” Transformational Leadership, Creativity, and Organizational Innovation”, Journal of Business Research, 62, pp.461-473.
26. Gupta, V., Singh, S., and Khatri, N. (2013), “Creativity in Research and Development Laboratories: A New Scale for Leader Behaviors”, IIMB Management Review, 25 (2), pp.83-90.
27. Gupta, V., Singh, S., Kumar, S. and Bhattacharya, A. (2012), “Development of a Causal Framework Linking Leadership to Employee Creativity: A Study of Indian R&D Laboratories”, The Indian Journal of Industrial Relations, 48 (1), pp.120-136.
28. Jaiswal, N.K. and Dhar, R.L. (2015), “Transformational leadership, innovation climate, creative self-efficacy and employee creativity: A multilevel study”, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 51, pp.30-41.
29. Keathley, J., Merrill, P., Owens, T., Meggarrey, I. and Posey, K. (2013), “The Executive Guide to Innovation: Turning Good Ideas into Great Results”, Quality Press..
30. Jung, D.I. (2001), “Transformational and transactional leadership and their effects on creativity in groups”, Creativity Research Journal, 13 (2), pp.185–195.
31. Jung, D.I., Chow, C. and Wu, A. (2003),”The role of transformational leadership in enhancing organizational innovation: Hypotheses and some preliminary findings”, The Leadership Quarterly, pp.525-544.
32. Karcioğlu, F. and Kaygin, E. (2013), “Dönüştürücü Liderlik Anlayışının Yaratıcılığa ve Yeniliğe Etkisi”, KAU IIBF Dergisi, 4 (5), pp.99-111.
33. Liu, M.L., Liu, N.T., Ding, C.G. and Lin, C.P. (2015), “Exploring team performance in high-tech industries: Future trends of building up teamwork”, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 91, pp.295-310.
34. Marcati, A., Guido, G. and Peluso, A.M. (2008), “The role of SME entrepreneurs’ innovativeness and personality in the adoption of innovations”, Research Policy, 37, pp.579–590.
35. Mathew, M. and Gupta, K.S. (2015), “Transformational Leadership: emotional intelligence”, SCMS Journal Of Indian Management, 12(2), pp. 75-89.
36. Mittal, S. and Dhar, R.L. (2015), "Transformational leadership and employee creativity: Mediating role of creative self-efficacy and moderating role of knowledge sharing", Management Decision, Vol. 53 Issue: 5, pp.894-910,
37. Mumford, M.D. and Gustafson, S.B. (1988), “Creativity syndrome: integration, application, and innovation”, Psychological Bulletin, 103 (1), pp.27–43.
38. Naralan, A., Yildiz, I. and Kahya, C. (2013), “Donuşturucu Liderlik Algisi Ile Bilgi Yonetimi Kabiliyetleri Arasındaki Ilişkiler: Kosgeb Işletmelerinde Örnek Bir Uygulama”, Yonetim ve Ekonomi Araştırmaları Dergisi, (20), pp.65-87.
39. Oldham, G.R. and Cummings, A. (1996), “Employee creativity: personal and contextual factors at work”, Academy of Management Journal, 39 (3), pp. 607–634.
40. Peng, J., Zhang, G., Fu, Z. and Tan, Y. (2014), “An empirical investigation on organizational innovation and individual creativity”, Prajogo, D., & McDermott, C. M.
41. Pirola-Merlo, A.J. and Mann, L, (2004), “The relationship between individual creativity and team creativity: aggregating across people and time”, Journal of Organizational Behavior, vol 25, no. 2, pp. 235 - 257.
42. Schopman, L.M., Kalshoven, K. and Boon, C. (2015), “When health care workers perceive high-commitment HRM will they be motivated to continue working in health care? It may depend on their supervisor and intrinsic motivation”, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, pp. 1-21.
43. Shalley, C.E., Zhou, J. and Oldham, G.R. (2004),” The effects of personal and contextual characteristics on creativity: where should we go from here?”, Journal of Management, 30 (6), pp.933–958.
44. Shalley, C.E. (1995), “Effects of coaction, expected evaluation, and goal setting on creativity and productivity”, Academy of Management Journal, 38, pp.483-503.
45. Shin S.J. and Zhou, J. (2003),” Transformational leadership, conservation and creativity: evidence from Korea”, Academy of Management Journal, 46 (6), pp.703–714.
46. Sosik, J.J., Kahai, S.S. and Avolio, B.J. (1998), “Transformational leadership and dimensions of creativity: motivating idea generation in computermediated groups”, Creativity Research Journal, 11 (2), pp. 111–121.
47. Tierney, P., Farmer S.M., and Graen, G.B. (1999), “An examination of leadership and employee creativity: the relevance of traits and relationships”, Personnel Psychology, 591–620..
48. Wang, P. and Rode, J.C. (2010), “Transformational leadership and follower creativity: The moderating effects of identification with leader and organizational climate”, Human Relations August, 63 (8), pp. 1105-1128.
49. Wang, X., Kim, T. and Lee, D. (2016), “Cognitive diversity and team creativity: Effects of team intrinsic motivation and transformational leadership”, Journal of Business Research, 69 (9), pp. 3231–3239.
50. Woodman, R.W., Sawyer J.E., and Griffin R.W. (1993), “Toward a theory of organizational creativity”. Academy of Management Review, 18 (2):293– 321.
51. Xiao-Hua, W. Tae-Yeol, K., and Deog-Ro, L. (2016), “Cognitive diversity and team creativity: Effects of team intrinsic motivation and transformational leadership”, Journal of Business Research, 69, pp. 3231–3239.
52. Yukl, G. (1989), “Managerial Leadership: A review of Theory and Research”, Journal of Management, Vol. 15, No.2, pp.251-289.
53. Zhou, J. and George, J.M. (2001), “When job dissatisfaction leads to creativity: encouraging the expression of voice”, Academy of Management Journal, 44 (4), pp. 682–696.