ABSTRACT
This paper builds a research model with four constructs, i.e., competencies, knowledge-oriented leadership, innovation, and performance within manufacturing companies to find out, through path modeling, 1) the effect of competencies on innovation, 2) the effect of knowledge-oriented leadership on innovation, and 3) the effect of innovation on performance. The survey instrument included four constructs – Competencies (COMP), Knowledge-oriented Leadership (LEAD), Innovation (INNO), and Performance (PERF). A marketing research company administered the instrument via computer-assisted telephone interviewing to subjects (N = 377) from 10 different high-tech manufacturing companies in Poland. Collected data were analyzed through partial least square structural equation modeling. The findings revealed that competencies and knowledge-oriented leadership positively and significantly influence innovation and innovation positively and significantly influence performance. Moreover, innovation was found to be a mediating variable between competencies and performance and knowledge-oriented leadership and performance. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed, followed by addressing the study’s limitations and future research directions.
Acknowledgments
The article is the result of the Research Project No. 2016/23/D/HS4/02527 financed by the Polish National Science Centre.