Effect of transformational leadership and proactive personality on innovative work behavior: Mediating role of knowledge sharing in the Cinema XXI

Type of the article: Research ArticleAbstractThe purpose of this study is to examine the effects of transformational leadership and proactive personality on innovative work behavior, with knowledge sharing as a mediating variable, among Cinema XXI guide employees in Indonesia. This study was motivated by limited innovation and low willingness to share knowledge in the cinema service sector. A total of 350 guide employees from six regions in Indonesia were selected using proportional random sampling and surveyed via Google Forms. Guides were chosen due to their strategic role in direct customer interaction and competitive differentiation. Data were collected between July and August 2025 and analyzed using structural equation modeling with analysis of moment structures software. Transformational leadership (β = 0.312, p < 0.001) and proactive personality (β = 0.387, p < 0.001) positively influence innovative work behavior. Knowledge sharing was also significantly affected by both antecedents and emerged as a strong predictor of innovative work behavior (β = 0.445, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis shows that knowledge sharing partially mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and innovative work behavior (indirect effect = 0.136, 30.4% of the total effect) and between proactive personality and innovative work behavior (indirect effect = 0.149, 27.8% of the total effect). Overall, the findings support prior research and emphasize the importance of leadership and individual proactivity in fostering knowledge sharing and enhancing innovative work behavior among Cinema XXI guide employees.AcknowledgmentsWe gratefully acknowledge the management and employees of Cinema XXI (PT Nusantara Sejahtera Raya, Tbk) for their participation and support in this research. We also thank the anonymous reviewers for their constructive feedback that significantly improved this manuscript.