Level 5 leadership and employee innovation: The role of employee voice

Abstract

Employee innovation plays a vital role in enhancing the competitiveness of manufacturing firms in South Africa, within the challenges of a turbulent global business landscape. It is essential to identify the factors influencing employee innovation. This study, guided by social exchange theory, aims to examine two perspectives. Firstly, it seeks to analyse the direct relationship between level 5 leadership and employee innovation. Secondly, it aims to investigate whether employee voice acts as a mediating path through which level 5 leadership influences employee innovation. Survey data based on an online questionnaire was collected from 177 employees in the South African manufacturing industry. The suggested hypotheses were assessed by applying partial least squares structural equation modelling. The findings verify that level 5 leadership positively influences employee innovation. Furthermore, the author argues that employee voice mediates this relationship. The relationship between level 5 leadership and employee innovation and the position of employee voice in mediating this link has not been studied until now. By assuming leadership behaviour based on the dimensions of personal humility and professional will and facilitating an environment that promotes employees’ ability to speak up, management and human resource practitioners can potentially enhance employee innovation and, in turn, firm innovation and success in the South African manufacturing industry.