Paradoxical leadership and innovative work behaviour: the roles of thriving at work and paradox mindset

Purpose Innovation is critical to higher education, yet how leadership enables faculty members to thrive and engage in innovative work behaviour (IWB) remains insufficiently understood. This study examines the association between paradoxical leadership and IWB through thriving at work (TAW) and under the boundary condition of paradox mindset. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 250 faculty members across 23 universities and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings Results indicate that paradoxical leadership is positively associated with IWB. TAW partially mediates this relationship, demonstrating that paradoxical leadership is associated with IWB partly through faculty members’ learning, vitality, and psychological resources. Paradox mindset strengthens the positive association between TAW and IWB, indicating that the relationship between thriving and innovative behaviour is stronger among faculty members with a greater capacity to approach and manage competing demands in their academic work. Originality/value This study is among the first to integrate paradoxical leadership, TAW, and paradox mindset to examine their associations with IWB in higher education. By examining how leadership behaviours and individual mindsets are associated with faculty members’ innovative behaviour amid the evolving demands of contemporary higher education, this study extends the human resource management and leadership literature while advancing understanding within the higher education literature. It also offers actionable implications for informing leadership and human resource practices that support faculty members’ thriving and innovative behaviour in academic settings.