Innovative Work Behaviour via Authentic Leadership: A Sequential Mediation Model of Knowledge Sharing and Organisational Agility

Abstract

This study investigates the role of authentic leadership (AUL) in promoting innovative work behaviour (IWB) among white-collar employees in India, focusing on the sequential mediating effects of knowledge sharing (KS) and organisational agility (OA). Drawing on Social Exchange Theory (SET), Complexity Theory (CT), and Dynamic Capability Theory (DCT), the research develops and tests a conceptual model that links AUL to IWB through KS and OA. Data were collected from 357 respondents in the service and manufacturing sectors and analysed using structural equation modelling with bootstrapping. Results confirm that AUL significantly enhances KS and OA, which in turn directly foster IWB. Importantly, the direct effect of AUL on IWB becomes insignificant in the presence of mediators, indicating full mediation. The study advances theoretical understanding by integrating relational and systemic mechanisms through which leadership fosters innovation. Practical implications suggest that organisations seeking to drive innovation should invest in cultivating AUL, promote collaborative knowledge-sharing environments, and build agile systems capable of rapid adaptation. This research contributes a robust, empirically supported framework explaining how leadership behaviour translates into innovation in dynamic and culturally diverse organisational settings.