The effects of transformational leadership on innovative work behaviour in the Ghanaian hospitality industry with the mediated moderation effects of individual and organisational factors

Abstract

Purpose — This study examined the direct and indirect influences of the transformational leadership style on innovative work behaviour. The mediating factors considered were work engagement, self-efficacy, and organisational innovation atmosphere, while absorptive capacity represented the moderating variable. Methodology — A structured questionnaire was administered to 810 hotel employees in Volta Region, Ghana. A total of 795 questionnaires were collected for data analysis, representing a response rate of 98.15%. The survey included a demographic section followed by sections on transformational leadership, innovative work behaviour, absorptive capacity, work engagement self-efficacy and organisation innovation atmosphere (based on Ekvalls, 1996). IBM-SPSS Version 27 was used to generate descriptive statistics, whilst SmartPLS version 4 was used to conduct PLS-SEM analysis to establish the relationships between the variables. Findings — The results showed that transformational leadership significantly impacted innovative work behaviour, work engagement, self-efficacy, and the atmosphere of organisational innovation. Also, work engagement, self-efficacy, and organisational innovation atmosphere significantly influenced innovative work behaviour. It further revealed that absorptive capacity moderated the relationships between transformational leadership and innovative work behaviour, self-efficacy and innovative work behaviour, and organisation innovation atmosphere and innovative work behaviour. However, absorptive capacity did not moderate the relationship between work engagement and innovative work behaviour. Research limitations — The research was conducted in one region of Ghana, and therefore, it is not easy to generalise findings across the board. Using only quantitative data collection tools also ignores the feelings and opinions of respondents, which could have been edifying. Originality/value — This study is the first to examine the individual and organisational factors that directly and indirectly (mediate and moderate) influence transformational leadership style and innovative work behaviour relationships in the Ghanaian context. Overall, the combination of contextual focus, integration of transformational leadership and innovative work behaviour, exploration of mediated moderation effects, and consideration of individual and organisational factors makes this research novel and valuable for understanding leadership and individual innovation dynamics in the Ghanaian hospitality industry.