Inclusive Leadership and Workforce Diversity Management Predicting Innovative Work Behaviour in Multigenerational Organisations: A Conceptual and Opinion-Based Framework

This conceptual paper examines the theoretical relationship between Inclusive Leadership and Innovative Work Behaviour in the context of multigenerational organisations operating across emerging and developed economies. Drawing on Social Identity Theory (SIT), Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory, and Organisational Learning Theory (OLT), the paper argues that organisations in which leaders embody and enact inclusive practices — characterised by openness, accessibility, and availability— are systematically better positioned to generate, promote, and implement innovative ideas across a generationally diverse workforce. The paper contends that inclusive leadership functions as a structural antecedent to innovative work behaviour, and that this relationship is conditioned by three critical organisational mediators: equal opportunity practices, intergenerational collaboration, and diversity training. While the transformative potential of inclusive leadership is affirmed, the paper acknowledges that its efficacy is not uniform — it is moderated by generational dynamics, organisational culture, and institutional context. The paper advances a conceptual framework, proposes empirically testable hypotheses, and contributes to both theoretical scholarship and practical leadership development.