Mechanisms of cross-level impact of leadership rapport orientation on employees' innovative behaviour

Purpose To reveal the effective ways for leaders to motivate employees' innovative behaviour in complex environmental situations, the leadership rapport orientation is subdivided into two types of values-based/instrumental rapport orientation. The mechanism of supervisor developmental feedback in mediating between leadership rapport orientation and employees' innovative behaviour and the moderating effect of ambidextrous environments is explored. This paper aims to discuss the aforementioned objective. Design/methodology/approach Leadership rapport orientation is divided into value-based and instrumental rapport orientation to reveal effective ways for leaders to motivate employees' innovative behaviour in complex environmental situations. Findings The results show that the values-based (instrumental) rapport orientation of leaders impacts employees' innovative behaviour positively (negatively). Originality/value Leaders' values-based/instrumental rapport orientation indirectly influences employees' innovative behaviour through supervisor developmental feedback, which positively moderates the relationship between the values-based or instrumental rapport orientation of leaders and employees' innovative behaviour and further moderates the partially mediating role of supervisor developmental feedback between leaders' values-based/instrumental rapport orientation and employees' innovative behaviour.