THE EFFECT OF SUPPORTIVE LEADER ON EMPLOYEES’ ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY TOWARDS INNOVATIVE BEHAVIOUR

Innovative behaviour and its antecedents attracted research interest recently. To address this need, the researcher draws on State-Trait Curiosity Inventory and self-determination theory to examine the impacts of work-related curiosity (WRC) and employee absorptive capacity on innovative employee behaviour. The mediating variable of employee absorptive capacity (EAC) was examined. Data was collected and analysed from 292 full-time employees who are working within the service sector in Jordan. The outputs from smart partial least square SmartPLS analysis reveal that WRC effects EAC, which consequently affects innovative employee behaviour. Surprisingly, supportive leadership behaviour was found to play a moderating role in the relationship between WRC and EAC, but it has an inverse effect. These findings provide managers knowledge on how to enhance innovative employee behaviours by encouraging employee curiosity and absorptive capacity.