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Impact of Empowering Leadership, Innovative Work, and Organizational Learning Readiness on Sustainable Economic Performance: An Empirical Study of Companies in Russia during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author

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  • Baira Faulks

    (School of Management, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China)

  • Yinghua Song

    (School of Management, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China)

  • Moses Waiganjo

    (Business Management Department, Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), Windhoek 51434, Namibia)

  • Bojan Obrenovic

    (School of Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China)

  • Danijela Godinic

    (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic shocked the global economy, with numerous companies suffering losses and shutting down. However, some companies proved to be resilient, being able to sustain their economic performance despite the pandemic. The study aims to explain the sustainable economic performance of companies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The relationships between empowering leadership, innovative work behavior, organizational readiness to change, and sustainable economic performance were assessed. The data were collected via an online questionnaire from January 2021 to March 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia. The respondents were Russian companies’ employees holding management positions, competent to objectively assess organizational circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 337 was used in the analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with maximum likelihood estimation was conducted using SPSS AMOS. The structural model was tested with standardized parameter estimates, standard errors, and p -values calculated. The findings of the study suggest that innovative work behavior and organizational readiness to learn have a direct influence on sustainable economic performance. The findings also suggest that empowering leadership impacts innovative work behavior but not sustainable economic performance. The mediation analysis indicates that innovative work behavior is a mediator between empowering leadership and sustainable economic performance, whereas organizational readiness to learn is not a moderator. The study adds to the leadership and sustainability body of knowledge and contributes to the research on the COVID-19 pandemic in the organizational context.

Suggested Citation

  • Baira Faulks & Yinghua Song & Moses Waiganjo & Bojan Obrenovic & Danijela Godinic, 2021. "Impact of Empowering Leadership, Innovative Work, and Organizational Learning Readiness on Sustainable Economic Performance: An Empirical Study of Companies in Russia during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-27, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:22:p:12465-:d:676956
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    Cited by:

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    2. Moses Waiganjo & Danijela Godinic & Bojan Obrenovic, 2021. "Strategic Planning and Sustainable Innovation During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Literature Review," International Journal of Innovation and Economic Development, Inovatus Services Ltd., vol. 7(5), pages 52-59, December.
    3. Yunpeng YU & Amer Hamzah Jantan & Shao LI, 2024. "RETRACTED ARTICLE: Unveiling the Impact of Live Video Marketing on College Students’ Online Grocery Repurchase Behavior: A Performance Technology Approach," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(3), pages 11213-11249, September.
    4. Mimica R. Milošević & Miloš M. Nikolić & Dušan M. Milošević & Violeta Dimić, 2022. "Managing Resources Based on Influential Indicators for Sustainable Economic Development: A Case Study in Serbia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-20, April.
    5. Sara Mehrab Daniali & Sergey Evgenievich Barykin & Farzin Mohammadbeigi Khortabi & Olga Vladimirovna Kalinina & Olga Anatolievna Tcukanova & Elena Konstantinovna Torosyan & Svetlana Poliakova & Sergey, 2022. "An Employee Competency Framework in a Welfare Organization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-20, February.
    6. Batara Surya & Hernita Hernita & Agus Salim & Seri Suriani & Iwan Perwira & Yulia Yulia & Muhlis Ruslan & Kafrawi Yunus, 2022. "Travel-Business Stagnation and SME Business Turbulence in the Tourism Sector in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-37, February.
    7. Yustinus Budi Hermanto & Veronika Agustini Srimulyani, 2022. "The Effects of Organizational Justice on Employee Performance Using Dimension of Organizational Citizenship Behavior as Mediation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-19, October.

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