Leading Innovation Through Safety and Sharing: How Transformational Leadership and Leaders Humility Drive Innovative Work Behavior in Emerging Economies

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17754571

Abstract

In this research, the mediating role of psychological safety and knowledge sharing in transformational leadership in promoting innovative work behavior in Pakistani organizations is investigated by mediating their role in the sequential manner and the moderating condition of humility among leaders. Based on the Social Exchange Theory, Psychological Safety Theory and the Componential Theory of Creativity, the study will fill a critical gap in the high power-distance, hierarchy-driven environment in which employee voice and innovation are usually limited in Pakistan. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design and PLS-SEM were employed to gather the data of employees in the most important sectors in Pakistan to test the given serial moderated mediation model. The results indicate that transformational leadership is important in improving psychological safety that facilitates knowledge sharing and eventually increases the innovative work behavior. The humility of leaders enhances the process of translating the psychological safety into knowledge-sharing practices that increases innovation outcomes. The research has theoretical value of incorporating the concept of leadership humility in leadership-innovation models in the emerging economies as well as providing practical recommendations on how to develop psychologically safe, collaborative, and innovation-focused organizational cultures in Pakistan.