AGILITY’S ROLE IN COLLABORATIVE INNOVATION: THE SYNERGY OF PARTICIPATIVE LEADERSHIP AND COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE

Companies are grappling with growing uncertainty and rapid changes driven by evolving societal needs and shifts in consumer and stakeholder behaviours. They are facing significant challenges, making organisational behaviours such as agility key capabilities that enable companies to adapt, innovate, and respond quickly to market developments. Therefore, it is essential to unify the efforts of all organisation members to effectively respond to environmental demands and collaborate in fostering innovation. This can be achieved through the influence of learning capacity and participative leadership behaviour, which together promote the development of collective intelligence. This study aims to test the effect of organisational agility on collaborative innovation, considering organisational learning, participative leadership, and collective intelligence. A quantitative analysis was conducted using a questionnaire, and the data were analysed employing the structural equation modelling method. The research sample consisted of 347 consultants and managers from consulting firms, a sector where agility and innovation are crucial. The findings highlight that agility significantly impacts organisational learning, participative leadership, and collective intelligence, which, in turn, drive collaborative innovation and strengthen companies’ competitive positioning. This study enriches research by urging consultants and managers to foster collaborative innovation through organisational capabilities and participative leadership that enhances collective intelligence.