Leadership and Innovative Work Behaviours: A Steel Manufacturing Sector Context

Abstract

AbstractEmpowering leadership, and organizational support, are crucial for enhancing innovative work behaviours because they foster autonomy, learning, and psychological safety, which promote employees’ willingness to generate, promote, and implement new ideas at work. To examine the effect of empowering leadership on innovative work behaviours in the steel manufacturing sector with the mediating role of organizational support, the questionnaire survey and empirical analysis were conducted on employees in Pakistan. Standardized measurement scales were used to assess the variables of the study. Empowering leadership significantly and positively predicts innovative work behaviours, Empowering leadership influences innovative work behaviours through the mediating effect of organizational support. This study contributes to the understanding of the underlying mechanisms linking empowering leadership to innovative work behaviours by highlighting the mediating role of organizational support. The findings provide practical implications for managers and organizations seeking to enhance employee innovation through empowerment-oriented leadership practices and organizational support.Keywords: Leadership, Innovative Work Behaviours, Pakistan, SPSS, Process Hayes, Manufacturing Sector.Acknowledgement and Funded StatementThe research is funded by the Indonesian Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) on behalf of the Indonesian Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology and managed under the EQUITY Program (Contract No. 4300/B3/DT.03.08/2025 and 297/UN3/HK.07.00/2025).