How does ambidextrous leadership promote innovation in project-based construction companies? Through mediating role of knowledge-sharing and moderating role of innovativeness

What is it about?

Research on adopting leadership style like ambidextrous leadership to enhance employees’ innovative work behavior (IWB) is in an initial stage. Moreover, employees need a high knowledge sharing attitude to show more IWB. The purpose of this study is to empirically test the impact of ambidextrous leadership on IWB with the mediating role of knowledge sharing and the moderating role of innovativeness as a project requirement (IAPR). The simple random sampling technique was used to collect data from 542 employees of project-based construction companies operating in Pakistan. Smart Partial least squares-structural equation modeling (Smart PLS SEM v.3.2.8) was used to test the hypotheses. The result revealed that ambidextrous leadership has a significant and positive effect on knowledge sharing but negative effect on IWB at the workplace. Additionally, the mediating role of knowledge sharing has been tested and proved to be a potential mediator between ambidextrous leadership and IWB. Also, IAPR as moderator has a significant and positive effect on knowledge sharing and IWB. The current study has used Fiedler Contingency model of leadership to support the results. Finally, some theoretical and practical contributions to ambidextrous leadership and IWB literature, and research limitations and future directions are presented.

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