Effects of Transformational Leadership and Self-leadership on Innovative Behaviors: Mediating Roles of Empowerment

Abstract

Leadership has long been recognized as a major factor determining the success of an organization. A major challenge facing an organization is how to adapt successfully to the rapidly changing environment. This study focused on the effect of leadership on innovative behaviors, hypothesizing that transformational leadership and self-leadership of human resource within an organization affect innovative behaviors directly and indirectly through psychological empowerment. Using a sample of 217 organizational members employed by the various types of firms in Korea, this study identified the positive influence of self-leadership on innovative behaviors, and also found the evidence that empowerment mediated the relations between transformational leadership and innovative behavior relations. However, the mediating effect of empowerment between self-leadership and innovative behaviors was not found. Implications for research and practice of our findings are discussed. © 2007, Center for International Area Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. All rights reserved.