Abstract
This study examines the impact of managers’ inclusive leadership behaviors on the innovative behaviors of employees who play critical roles in organizations. Grounded in Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory (1986), it positions inclusive leadership as a key social and cognitive factor shaping employees’ capacity for innovation. Addressing a gap in the literature, the study explores how inclusive leadership fosters an environment that encourages and sustains innovative behavior. A quantitative research design was adopted using the relational survey model. Data were collected through the inclusive leadership scale and the innovative behavior scale. The study population comprised 8845 employees from a manufacturing company in Ankara, with a sample of 444 employees. Findings indicate that perceived inclusive leadership significantly and positively affects innovative behavior. However, the sub-dimensions of supporting group members, ensuring justice and equity, and shared decision-making did not yield significant effects. In contrast, encouraging diverse contributions and helping group members contribute fully positively and significantly influenced innovative behavior. These results suggest that inclusive leadership, when strategically leveraged, can cultivate an organizational culture that not only values diversity and inclusion but also actively enhances employees’ innovative potential. Strengthening leadership practices in this direction may serve as a critical pathway for organizations seeking to sustain competitive advantage in rapidly evolving industries.
Keywords
organizational innovation climate, leader-member exchange, inclusive work culture, organizational practices, organizational support
Chinese Abstract
白领员工的包容性领导觀念对其创新行为的影响－基于制造业的研究
本研究探讨管理者的包容性领导行为对组织中关键员工创新行为的影响。以班杜拉的社会认知理论（Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory）（1986）为基础，此研究将包容性领导定位为塑造员工创新能力的关键社会和认知因素。为填补文献中的空白，文章探讨了包容性领导如何创造一个鼓励和维持创新行为的环境。研究采用关系调查模型的定量研究设计，而数据是透过包容性领导力量表和创新行为量表收集的。研究对象是安卡拉一家拥有8,845 名员工的制造公司，样本为其中 444 名员工。研究结果表明，感知到的包容性领导力对创新行为有显著的正面影响。然而，支持团队成员、确保公正和公平以及共同决策等子维度并没有产生显著的效果。相反，鼓励多元化贡献和帮助团队成员对创新行为有正面且显著的影响。这些结果表明，如果策略性地利用包容性领导力，可以培养一种不仅重视多元化和包容性，而且还积极提升员工创新潜力的组织文化。加强这方面的领导实践可能是组织寻求在快速发展的行业中保持竞争优势的关键途径。
组织创新氛围、领导-成员交流、包容性工作文化、组织实践、组织支持
ORCID Identifiers
Munure Oner: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6403-9291
Huseyin Tolga Cagatay: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5228-3223
Hulusi Cenk Sozen: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9324-5557
DOI
10.5038/2640-6489.10.1.1338
Recommended Citation
Oner, M., Cagatay, H. T., & Sozen, H. C. (2025). The effect of white-collar employees’ inclusive leadership perceptions on their innovative behaviors: A research in the manufacturing sector. Journal of Global Business Insights, 10(1), 36-53. https://www.doi.org/10.5038/2640-6489.10.1.1338
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
