The impact of leadership styles on innovation - a review

Abstract

This paper reviews the insights that research offers on the impact of different leadership styles on innovation. To do so, we develop a framework, structuring research insights into four dimensions: people, means, effects, and goals/outcomes for innovations. Based on this framework, we review publications on: directive and participative leadership, interactive leadership, charismatic leadership, transformational leadership, transactional & instrumental leadership, strategic & CEO leadership, and shared & distributed leadership. We find strong indications that different innovation stages and types raise different demands on leadership. Against this background, transformational leadership is not the only style to lead innovations, but different leadership styles fit differently well with different innovation types and stages. However, the specification of this fit is still very incomplete and the answer to the question of how to lead innovations remains sketchy. In result of the review of this paper we map existing insights and research needs.

Sustainable Leadership Enhance Innovation: A Systematic Review of Past Decade

“…Burns in 1978 provided with a pioneer study, which is now been authenticated by many other researchers that leadership do have a positive and massive influence on the behaviors of employees which is directly related to the deeds of innovation and creativity (Bass, Bernard M., 2006;Kesting, Ulhøi, Song, & Niu, 2015;Schmitt, Antje, Deanne N. Den Hartog, 2016; and that is why it is taken as a step that is most crucial for the execution of innovation in the environment of the firm. The concepts of leadership and innovation are inter-related.…”

“…(Sabrina, Gerlach, Maria, & Xin, 2018) postulates that in order to sustain organizational accomplishment, leaders need to work on innovation along with improving the efficiency of the organization's operations. In strengthening the organizational creativity, starting and driving innovation projects, implementing innovation projects and overcoming opposition, leadership plays a crucial role (Kesting et al, 2015). Hypothesis: there is a direct relationship between Sustainable leadership and innovation.…”

Leaders and Managers Styles towards Employee Centricity: A Study of Hospitality Industry in United Arab Emirates

“…The evidence is oriented to the Hospitality Industry where employees are referred to as the juniors or any staff reporting to a senior. The study also address leaders as the seniors accountable to juniors as like team leaders, shift leaders, supervisors and the same account; a bit different to most definition of leaders in leadership articles or journals referring to as an individual with great influence and motivational approach over a long term goal (Kesting, et al, 2016;Fiaz, et al, 2017). This definition is derived from the setting of hotels where supervisors are referred to as leaders while Managers are those who are already appointed as Managers.…”

“…Empirical evidence on leadership has made its way on discovering new ideas to figure out leadership styles. Leaders and Managers are driven by must do and what they have to do (Raducan, 2015;Algahtani, 2014), the assumption ideas are not only contributed by traits or characteristics but rather by dynamic environment essentials expected to influence personal objective, values and belief of employees within their significant needs (Raducan, 2015;Kesting et al, 2016;Jung et al, 2014;Agathani, 2014). It is learned that different styles deviates from employee needs which differs from one person to another.…”

“…Males are more engaged when leaders demonstrate democratic control (Lather & Jain, 2015) while female are more concerned on career advancement aside from the importance of control. Motivational factors is believed to shapes employee's personal and professional aspect as like interpersonal, reward and satisfaction within organization subsequent to fluctuating behavior, attitude and drive with effect on productivity and performance (Fiaz, et al, 2017;Shanks, 2017;Kesting et al, 2016;Jung et al, 2014).…”