How empowering leadership impacts on innovative behavior: the roles of learning orientation and openness to experience

Purpose This study aims to look into the impact of empowering leadership on employees’ innovative behavior. Moreover, using a moderated mediation mechanism, this study investigates the mediating role of individual learning orientation and the moderating role of openness to experience in the research model. Design/methodology/approach Quantitative data were collected from 362 employees working in the IT organizations in Vietnam. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed relationships. Findings The results show that empowering leadership has a significant positive effect on employees’ innovative behavior. Moreover, individual learning orientation mediates the nexus between empowering leadership and employees’ innovative behavior, while openness to experience plays the moderating role. Practical implications The empirical findings of this investigation offer significant insights for managers. The results indicate that managers can enhance employees’ innovative behavior by practicing empowering leadership and fostering learning orientation. Furthermore, managers should make sure employees are open to experience. Originality/value This study advances the understanding of employees’ innovative behavior via the predictive role of empowering leaders and the mediation mechanism of learning orientation. Moreover, this study is among the pioneering studies exploring the moderating role of openness to experience on the nexus between empowering leadership and innovative behavior.