The Effect of Servant and Transformational Leadership Styles on Employee Creative Behavior: The Moderating Role of Authentic Leadership

Abstract

Leaders are expected to trigger and increase the creative behavior of their followers, and hence they need to adopt various leaderships together. This study focuses on the effect of the servant and transformational leadership on employee creative behavior and the moderating role of authentic leadership on these relationships. One thousand one hundred forty-six blue- and white-collar employees working in the western region of Turkey were selected by convenience sampling. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Process Macro by Hayes have been used to determine the effects and interactions among variables. Servant and transformational leadership were positively related to employee creative behavior, and that these effects increased if moderated by authentic leadership. Thus, authentic leadership strengthens the positive impact of servant and transformational leadership on employee creative behavior. It is predicted that leaders should be servants or transformational leaders to increase employee creative behavior in their organizations. It should be taken into account that if these leaders also exhibit authentic leadership, the effect of leadership on employee creative behavior will be even greater. A second leadership is also included in the relationship between leadership and employee creative behavior, which is generally examined through a single leadership type. The interaction of this second leadership with other leadership is also tested. (C)CIKD Publishing