Why does leader attention scope matter for innovation ambidexterity? The mediating role of transformational leadership
Leadership & Organization Development Journal
ISSN: 0143-7739
Article publication date: 5 September 2016
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the role leader attention plays in the nurture of transformational leadership (TL) behavior, as well as the mechanism by which TL affects innovation ambidexterity, this research empirically studied the relationship between leader attention scope (LAS) and innovation ambidexterity (exploratory innovation and exploitative innovation) through the mediating role of TL. Further, the moderating effect of environmental dynamism (ED) on the relationship between TL and innovation ambidexterity was examined.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical study was adopted by distributing questionnaires to high echelon leaders in mainland China to assess related variables. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships of the variables based on the 188 returned questionnaires.
Findings
The results show that LAS had a positive effect on innovation ambidexterity, and the relationship was partially mediated by TL. ED negatively moderated the relationship between TL and innovation ambidexterity.
Practical implications
The results suggest that upper echelon leaders receive more unfamiliar, outward-oriented, and source-diverse information to broaden their attention scope. The broad outlook they get obliges them to engage in TL behavior which is beneficial for innovation ambidexterity.
Originality/value
Based on upper echelons theory, this research reveals the realization mechanism of innovation ambidexterity from the perspectives of leader attention and leadership behavior. This paper avoids the previous research limitation of prevalently employing demographic measurements to substitute for leaders’ psychological processes. The study of LAS also explains the formation mechanism of TL. ED is considered to examine the effectiveness of TL.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful for the financial support from National Nature Science Foundation of China (NNSF: No. 71472172) and Ministry of Education of China (Society and Science Fund of MEC: No. 14YJA630035).
Citation
Zheng, X., Liu, Z. and Gong, X. (2016), "Why does leader attention scope matter for innovation ambidexterity? The mediating role of transformational leadership", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 37 No. 7, pp. 912-935. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-12-2014-0242
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited