Leadership and Innovation: How and When do Leaders Influence Innovation in R&D Teams?

Sammanfattning: DEGREE OF LlCENTIATE IN PSYCHOLOGY Abstract Denti, L. (2011). Leadership and Innovation: How and When do Leaders Injluence Innovation in R&D Teams? University of Gothenburg. Sweden. This thesis examines how and when leadership is related to individual innovation in organizations, i.e., those factors that mediate and moderate the relationship between leadership and innovation. In study I, 30 years of research into leaders' influence on organizational innovation was systematically reviewed to identify these factors. The sample consisted of 27 empirical studies treating leadership as the independent variable and innovation as the dependent variable. A further purpose of study I was to identify new potential mediating and moderating factors. Study II, based on study I, surveyed 166 team members in research and development (R&D) teams, together with their team leaders and department managers, in five Swedish industrial organizations. In this study, leadership was conceptualized using leader-member exchange theory (LMX). The main fmdings indicated that individual personal initiative predicted individual innovation behavior, while individual intrinsic motivation and LMX did not. Innovation behavior was measured using both quantitative indicators (e.g., new patents, products, scientific publications, and other publications) and 1eaders' ratings. A mediating effect was found in which leader-member exchange was associated with innovation through the personal initiative of team members. Organizational support moderated the relationship between LMX and individual personal initiative, strengthening the relationship when organizational support was high. The two studies concluded that leaders do influence the innovativeness of their teams and employees in various ways. Furthermore, factors residing at the individual, team, and organizationallevels of analysis may facilitate or undermine the efforts of leaders to influence innovation outcomes. Keywords: LMX, innovation, mediators, moderators, R&D ISSN l101-718X, ISRN GUIPSYKlA VH--248--SE Leif Denti, Gothenburg Research Institute, University of Gothenburg, Box 603, 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden. Phone: +46 31 786 5608. E-mail: [email protected]