Leadership behavior and innovation performance in the UAE's telecom and ICT industries

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to determine the indirect effects of transformational leadership and transactional leadership on innovation performance through the serial mediation of climate for innovation and individual creativity.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was collected from 139 employees working in various ICT and telecommunication industries in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Findings

The analysis results revealed positive and significant relationships between transactional leadership and the creation of a climate for innovation for individuals' creativity and innovation performance. The results also indicated employees' perceptions of a supportive climate for innovation mediation, the transformational and transactional leadership and individual’ creativity relationships.

Practical implications

This research suggests that investing in organizational climate improvement provides a dynamic platform for creativity and innovation in the workplace.

Originality/value

This study is one of the first to investigate the relationships in ICT and telecommunication organizations in a developing country, the UAE. The study includes associations between transformational and transactional leaderships and employees' sense of creativity and innovation performance and the impact of employees' perceptions of a supportive climate for innovation.

Citation

Sandhu, M.A. and Al Naqbi, A. (2023), "Leadership behavior and innovation performance in the UAE's telecom and ICT industries", Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol. 30 No. 5, pp. 1695-1712. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-10-2021-0599