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Leaders who empower: a gateway to radical innovation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 October 2019

Emilio Domínguez-Escrig Open the ORCID record for Emilio Domínguez-Escrig [Opens in a new window] ,
Francisco Fermín Mallén Broch ,
Rafael Lapiedra Alcamí  and
Ricardo Chiva Gómez
Emilio Domínguez-Escrig*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Administración de Empresas y Marketing, Universitat Jaume I, Av. Sos Baynat s/n, 12071, Castellón, Spain
Francisco Fermín Mallén Broch
Affiliation:
Departamento de Administración de Empresas y Marketing, Universitat Jaume I, Av. Sos Baynat s/n, 12071, Castellón, Spain
Rafael Lapiedra Alcamí
Affiliation:
Departamento de Administración de Empresas y Marketing, Universitat Jaume I, Av. Sos Baynat s/n, 12071, Castellón, Spain
Ricardo Chiva Gómez
Affiliation:
Departamento de Administración de Empresas y Marketing, Universitat Jaume I, Av. Sos Baynat s/n, 12071, Castellón, Spain
*
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

The main goal of the current study is to analyze the relationship between leaders' empowerment, radical innovation and organizational performance. A total of 300 Spanish companies participated in the study. In total, 600 valid questionnaires were obtained. Structural equations were used to validate the proposed hypotheses. Two different respondents in each company were selected to provide information. All the hypotheses proposed in the theoretical model were confirmed. This research provides empirical evidence of the relationship between leaders' empowerment and organizational performance, highlighting the mediation role played by radical innovation. Leaders who empower, promote radical innovation and, in turn, performance. To our knowledge, this is the first empirical study that analyzes the effect of leader's empowerment on radical innovation. Although in the former literature there are evidences of a positive relationship between empowerment and innovation, there are no studies that differentiate between innovation typologies.

Keywords

empowermentleadershipradical innovationinnovationperformance
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 27 , Issue 5 , September 2021 , pp. 930 - 947
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2019

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