Authentic Leadership and Innovative Work Behavior. Mediating Role of Creative Self-Efficacy and Buffering Effect of Mastery Goal Orientation

Abstract

The current study examines the impact of authentic leadership on worker’s innovative work behavior by examining the mediating effect of creative self-efficacy and buffering effect of mastery orientation. Specifically, the study has hypothesized that people face authentic leadership direct as it acts as a principal factor in employees’ behavior. Authentic leadership has a significant impact on employees’ creative self-efficacy which further affects their innovative work behavior. Moreover, it is proposed that mastery goal orientation affects authentic leadership and creative self-efficacy relationship, we also hypothesize that through creative self-efficacy, mastery orientation influences the indirect effect of independent variable i.e., authentic leadership on employee outcome. In this research, data was collected from the employees and their peers, using a time-lagged study (n=361) in Pakistan’s education sector. Using the moderated-mediation technique, researchers have tested the hypotheses for inference. The results of this study indicate that the use of creative self-efficacy as an intermediary between authentic leadership and innovative work behavior relationship. The mastery goal orientation moderating hypothesis was not supported in the current study. The research concludes with a brief discussion of the study's implications, limitations, and potential future research directions.