TY - JOUR

T1 - Ambidextrous Leadership and Team Innovation

AU - Zacher, Hannes

AU - Rosing, Kathrin

PY - 2015/3/2

Y1 - 2015/3/2

N2 - Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report the first empirical test of the recently proposed ambidexterity theory of leadership for innovation (Rosing et al., 2011). This theory proposes that the interaction between two complementary leadership behaviors – opening and closing – predicts team innovation, such that team innovation is highest when both opening and closing leadership behaviors are high. Design/methodology/approach – Multi-source survey data came from 33 team leaders of architectural and interior design firms and 90 of their employees. Findings – Results supported the interaction hypothesis, even after controlling for leaders’ transformational leadership behavior and general team success. Research limitations/implications – The relatively small sample size and the cross-sectional design are potential limitations of the study. The findings provide initial support for the central hypothesis of the ambidexterity theory of leadership for innovation. Practical implications – The results suggest that organizations could train team leaders’ ambidextrous leadership behaviors to increase team innovation. Social implications – Identifying ways to facilitate organizational innovation is important, as it contributes to employment and company growth as well as individual and societal well-being. Originality/value – This multi-source study contributes to the literatures on leadership and innovation in organizations by showing that ambidextrous leadership behaviors predict team innovation above and beyond transformational leadership behavior.

AB - Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report the first empirical test of the recently proposed ambidexterity theory of leadership for innovation (Rosing et al., 2011). This theory proposes that the interaction between two complementary leadership behaviors – opening and closing – predicts team innovation, such that team innovation is highest when both opening and closing leadership behaviors are high. Design/methodology/approach – Multi-source survey data came from 33 team leaders of architectural and interior design firms and 90 of their employees. Findings – Results supported the interaction hypothesis, even after controlling for leaders’ transformational leadership behavior and general team success. Research limitations/implications – The relatively small sample size and the cross-sectional design are potential limitations of the study. The findings provide initial support for the central hypothesis of the ambidexterity theory of leadership for innovation. Practical implications – The results suggest that organizations could train team leaders’ ambidextrous leadership behaviors to increase team innovation. Social implications – Identifying ways to facilitate organizational innovation is important, as it contributes to employment and company growth as well as individual and societal well-being. Originality/value – This multi-source study contributes to the literatures on leadership and innovation in organizations by showing that ambidextrous leadership behaviors predict team innovation above and beyond transformational leadership behavior.

KW - Business psychology

KW - Ambidextrous leadership

KW - Closing

KW - Creativity

KW - Innovation

KW - Opening

KW - Transformational leadership

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84923325719&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1108/LODJ-11-2012-0141

DO - 10.1108/LODJ-11-2012-0141

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 36

SP - 54

EP - 68

JO - Leadership and Organization Development Journal

JF - Leadership and Organization Development Journal

SN - 0143-7739

IS - 1

ER -