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How does altruistic leader behavior foster radical innovation? The mediating effect of organizational learning capability

Emilio Domínguez Escrig (Departament d’Administració d’Empreses i Màrqueting, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló de la Plana, Spain)
Francisco Fermín Mallén Broch (Departament d’Administració d’Empreses i Màrqueting, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló de la Plana, Spain)
Ricardo Chiva Gómez (Departament d’Administració d’Empreses i Màrqueting, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló de la Plana, Spain)
Rafael Lapiedra Alcamí (Departament d’Administració d’Empreses i Màrqueting, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló de la Plana, Spain)

Leadership & Organization Development Journal

ISSN: 0143-7739

Article publication date: 7 November 2016

2458

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical evidence of the relationship between altruistic leader behavior and radical innovation, using organizational learning as an explanatory variable.

Design/methodology/approach

To confirm the hypotheses, structural equations were used on a data set from a survey carried out on Spanish firms with recognized excellence in human resources management.

Findings

The study empirically validates the conceptual model. Results suggest that organizational learning capability fully mediates the relationship between altruistic leader behavior and radical innovation.

Research limitations/implications

The database used in the study is very heterogeneous. Future research might delimit the database by organization size or sector.

Practical implications

Results suggest ideas for organizations that want to implement a working environment that fosters innovation performance in order to achieve radical innovations.

Originality/value

This is one of the few studies to concentrate on altruistic leader behaviors as such. This paper contributes to understanding how altruistic leader behavior affects radical innovation and the key role played by organizational learning capability.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the University Jaume I (Ref. P11B2008-13) and the Spanish Innovation Ministry (Ref. ECO2011-26780) for its financial support for this research.

Citation

Domínguez Escrig, E., Mallén Broch, F.F., Chiva Gómez, R. and Lapiedra Alcamí, R. (2016), "How does altruistic leader behavior foster radical innovation? The mediating effect of organizational learning capability", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 37 No. 8, pp. 1056-1082. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-03-2015-0050

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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