How Is Paradoxical Leadership Linked to Exploratory Innovation?

Abstract

The promotion of innovation is a crucial leadership function. However, empirical evidence on the role of paradoxical leadership in innovation is scarce. Based on paradox theory, this study presents an effective model to investigate the relationship between paradoxical leadership and employee exploratory innovation. Based on a survey of 358 employees in China, it was observed that paradoxical leadership promotes knowledge sharing among employees, consequently stimulating exploratory innovation. The study results showed that environmental dynamism plays a negative moderating role in the relationship between employee knowledge sharing and exploratory innovation. This study contributes to theoretical and empirical studies on paradoxical leadership and provides new perspectives for promoting exploratory innovation.