Translating leader–member exchange to innovative work behaviour: The role of creative self-efficacy and team support for innovation

Employees' innovative work behaviour (IWB) is crucial for organizations' long-term performance and success. In particular, research has examined leadership as a crucial antecedent of IWB, but there are inconclusive results about how leader–member exchange (LMX) translates into IWB. Building on LMX theory, we examine how the relationship between LMX and IWB is translated through subordinates' creative self-efficacy as a motivational factor and team support for innovation as a social-relational factor. To test our hypotheses, we conducted a matched field survey with 171 subordinates and supervisors and found a positive association between LMX and IWB. Our results also show that this relationship is mediated by team support for innovation but not by creative self-efficacy. Our findings confirm the importance of the social aspect in the innovation process and suggest that perceived social support plays a more significant role in the translation of LMX into the IWB than do individual motivational factors.