The Influence of Inclusive Leadership on Innovative Work Behavior: The Mediating Role of Job Autonomy and Psychological Safety (A Study of Start-Up Industry Employees in Semarang)

Abstract : This study examines the influence of inclusive leadership on employees’ innovative work behavior, with job autonomy and psychological safety as mediating variables. In today’s highly competitive and rapidly changing business environment, innovation is a critical factor for organizational success, especially in start-up companies dominated by millennials. Inclusive leadership, which emphasizes appreciation, employee involvement, and emotional support, has been shown to enhance job autonomy and create a psychologically safe work environment, encouraging employees to take risks and contribute fully to innovation. A multi-level approach analyzing interactions among individual, team, and psychological contexts is employed to understand these mechanisms. Focusing on start-up employees in Semarang, a rapidly growing hub with a strong millennial workforce, the study demonstrates that inclusive leadership plays a vital role in sustaining growth through fostering innovative behavior. The findings provide both theoretical and practical contributions for developing effective leadership strategies to support innovation in modern organizations.