A Decade of Research on Leadership and its Effects on Creativity-Innovation: A Systematic and Narrative Literature Review

Abstract

Purpose

In this study, we review ten years of research delving into the connections between leadership, creativity, and innovation (L-C/I). Our main objective is to perform a systematic literature review to better understand the associations between leadership and innovation/creativity, analyzing the knowledge thus far developed that addresses the mechanisms through which the two phenomena are connected.

Theoretical framework

We present and analyze conceptual definitions for the three constructs involved in our review – leadership, creativity, and innovation. We also briefly highlight the main leadership theories and perspectives, their key conceptual elements, and their interface with creativity/innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

We applied a combination of systematic and narrative review methodologies together with bibliometrics, and the review is unprecedented in its focus, depth, and breadth. We examined a sample of 2,724 published articles on the L-C/I relationships, analyzing 113 papers in depth published in the top 27 management journals.

Findings

We observed an accelerated growth of research on the topic. Most studies address the effects of leadership on creativity, while its connections with innovation still need to be better understood. Transformational leadership is the main perspective adopted by researchers, but there has also been an emergence of studies applying the LMX, entrepreneurial, and positive leadership approaches. While some mediators and moderators have been explored, there remains the need to build comprehensive frameworks that are able to address the complexity of the issue. Transversal study designs predominate, and the few experimental studies mostly rely on student samples.

Practical & social implications of the research

We discuss the possibilities and limitations of the present knowledge, synthesize existing gaps in the research, and offer direction to further expand the knowledge boundaries. We also contribute to fostering more systematic studies, which could avoid redundancies and unbridled construct proliferation, as well as to promoting the theoretical and methodological robustness that the field deserves.

Originality/value

The study applies a combination of systematic and narrative review methodologies together with bibliometrics, and it is unique in its focus, depth, and breadth, therefore making a distinguished contribution and consolidating the research with varied approaches, while also identifying gaps to inspire future research that could bring momentum to the field.

Keywords
Leadership; Creativity; Innovation; Literature Review