The effect of empowering leadership on innovative behavior: through the lens of conservation of resource theory

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine how empowering leadership relates employee innovative behavior through learning orientation. In addition, this work further offers deeper insight into the moderating mechanism of openness to experience in the relationship between empowering leadership and employee innovative behavior.Design/methodology/approachThree time-lagged sets of data (n = 423) were collected among employees working in information technology sector in Vietnam. The partial least squares structural equation modeling method was employed to test the research hypotheses.FindingsThe results show that empowering leadership significantly positively relates on employees’ innovative behavior. In addition, individual learning orientation plays a mediating role while openness to experience moderates this relationship.Practical implicationsThe empirical findings offer significant insights for managers. The results indicate that managers can enhance employees’ innovative behavior by practicing empowering leadership and fostering learning orientation. Furthermore, managers should make sure employees are open to experience.Originality/valueThis study advances the understanding of employees’ innovative behavior via the predictive role of empowering leaders and the mediating mechanism of learning orientation. This study also extends the current knowledge by considering the moderating role of openness to experience in the nexus between empowering leadership and innovative behavior.