Moderated Mediation Analysis of the Relationship Between Inclusive Leadership and Innovation Behavior

Jialin Liu (), Xinyu Liu and Hongbo Gao
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Jialin Liu: School of Business, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China
Xinyu Liu: Economic Department, University of Florence, 50121 Florence, Italy
Hongbo Gao: School of Business, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 9, 1-20

Abstract: The spread of the pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges for Chinese enterprises, particularly in the new energy sector, where numerous companies have been forced to halt their development plans and suspend projects, awaiting opportunities to restart. In this context, enterprise performance is significantly affected, making employee innovation a critical factor in business survival and growth amid adversity. This study explored the intrinsic link between inclusive leadership styles and employees’ innovative behaviors, with a particular focus on introspection and sense of accomplishment as key psychological mechanisms that drive innovation. Through mediation analysis, this study investigated how inclusive leadership could foster employees’ innovative behaviors by influencing their introspection and sense of achievement. This study incorporated psychological safety and organizational support as moderating variables in its research methodology. Psychological safety refers to the extent to which employees can feel accepted and respected within an organization, whereas organizational support encompasses the assistance and resources provided by the organization. This study employed a detailed questionnaire to assess employees’ perceptions of inclusive leadership, introspection, innovation behavior, psychological safety, and organizational support in energy companies. Following data collection, IBM statistic SPSS 27 software was used for correlation, regression, and moderated mediation analyses. This article concludes that leaders should not only focus on performance, but also on the psychological development of employees, such as their sense of achievement and introspection.

Keywords: moderation mediation analysis; inclusive leadership; regression analysis; innovation behavior; sustainable leadership; green innovation; SDGs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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