The relationship between servant leadership and team innovation performance: Mediating effect of self-efficacy

Abstract

This study delves into the effects of servant leadership on team innovation performance by examining innovation self-efficacy as a mediating factor and team innovation atmosphere as a moderating factor. Utilizing a questionnaire survey of 311 hotel employees, we employed a structural equation model for rigorous data analysis. Our key findings are summarized as follows: (1) Servant leadership positively influences team innovation performance. Specifically, the dimensions of persuasion and guidance within servant leadership emerge as significant predictors of enhanced team innovation. (2) Servant leadership significantly boosts innovation self-efficacy, highlighting its crucial role in fostering a culture of innovation. (3) Innovation self-efficacy emerges as a pivotal mediator between servant leadership and team innovation performance, underscoring its importance in translating leadership behaviours into tangible innovation outcomes. (4) The team innovation atmosphere positively moderates the relationship between innovation self-efficacy and team innovation performance, indicating that a supportive environment can amplify the impact of individuals' self-beliefs on collective innovation. This research offers valuable theoretical and practical insights into harnessing the power of servant leadership to enhance innovation self-efficacy and, ultimately, team innovation performance. Our findings contribute to a richer understanding of how these variables interact and can inform the development of more effective leadership strategies in organizations seeking to foster a culture of innovation.

Keywords: Innovation self-efficacy; Servant leadership; Structural equation model; Team innovation atmosphere; Team innovation performance.

Fig. 1

Diagram of the research hypotheses.

Fig. 2

Graphic hypothesis test model.

Fig. 3

Graph subdimension hypothesis testing model.