Does power distance necessarily hinder individual innovation? A moderated-mediation model

Abstract

Individual innovation behavior is the driving force for enterprise sustainable development and can be affected by many factors, among which power distance is important. To explore the mediating mechanism and boundary conditions of power distance on individual innovation behavior, this paper constructed a moderated mediation model with task characteristics as the moderator and voice behavior as the mediator from the two-dimensional perspective of individual innovation behavior (innovative idea generation and implementation). Responses to 336 valid questionnaires from 133 technological innovation enterprises in China revealed that power distance has a negative effect on innovative idea generation, but a positive effect on innovative idea implementation. In this process, task characteristics only play a moderating effect in the relationship between power distance and innovative idea implementation, but fail to moderate the relationship between power distance and innovative idea generation. In addition, it was found that voice behavior mediates the relationship between power distance and individual innovation behavior. This study provides useful insight on the mechanism of organizational culture on individual innovation behavior, and suggests leaders take effective measures to improve the enterprise sustainable development ability.