Unlocking innovative work behaviors: exploring the impact of paternalistic leadership, trust in a leader, employee voice and external locus of control

Purpose This study examined the chain mediation relationship between different dimensions of paternalistic leadership (PL) and innovative work behavior (IWB) through trust in the leader (TIL) and employee voice behavior (VB). This study introduced the external locus of control (ELoC) as a boundary condition that moderates the link between PL and TIL. Design/methodology/approach This study used a questionnaire survey with a multi-source, dyadic design, collecting matched supervisor–subordinate data from 303 hospitality industry employees. Findings The findings suggest that PL has a significant relationship with TIL, and TIL has a positive relationship with employee VB and IWB. Furthermore, TIL and employee VB negatively serially mediate the relationship between authoritarian leadership (AL) and IWB. However, TIL and employee VB positively serially mediate the association between benevolent (BL) and moral leadership (ML) and IWB. This study also found that employee ELoC negatively moderated the relationship between AL and TIL, whereas it positively moderated the relationships between BL, ML and TIL. Practical implications This study suggests that leaders adopting ML and BL styles may be more effective in encouraging IWB at the workplace than those adopting AL styles. Organizations may screen and develop ML and BL to promote IWB, particularly those that maintain trust and encourage VB. Furthermore, when employees feel their voices are acknowledged, they are willing to take risks to engage in IWB, ultimately boosting employee and organizational performance in the long run. Originality/value This study highlights the significance of PL and its dimensions in promoting IWB through a serial mediation mechanism that characterizes TIL and employee VB. This study also revealed how managers may regulate TIL using an interaction between different dimensions of PL and ELoC.