The Influence of Ambidextrous Leadership on The Innovative Work Behavior of Generation Z
Keywords:
Ambidextrous Leadership, Innovative Work Behavior, Generation Z, Indonesia, Knowledge WorkerAbstract
Abstract. The Fourth Industrial Revolution and rising reliance on knowledge workers have intensified the need for continuous innovation. Generation Z, already a substantial portion of Indonesia’s workforce, is expected to drive innovative work behavior, yet empirical evidence on the leadership styles that best support this generation remains limited and inconsistent. This study examined the influence of Ambidextrous Leadership, comprising Opening Leader Behavior and Closing Leader Behavior, on Innovative Work Behavior among Generation Z knowledge workers in Indonesia. A quantitative correlational non-experimental survey design was employed. Data were collected online from 359 eligible respondents working as analysts, designers, software developers, or technical-sales personnel across six provinces. Multiple linear regression and independent-samples t-tests were conducted after assumption testing. Results showed that both Opening and Closing Leader Behaviors significantly and positively predicted Innovative Work Behavior, jointly explaining 32.9% of its variance, with Closing Leader Behavior exerting the stronger unique contribution. Occupational-field analyses further revealed significant differences in Innovative Work Behavior according to levels of Opening and Closing Leader Behaviors in most knowledge-worker domains. The findings underscore the importance of balancing exploratory freedom with structured guidance to foster innovation among Generation Z knowledge workers and offer practical implications for leadership development in Indonesian organizations.
References
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Alavi, M., Mortazavi, L., & Jamshidvand, B. (2025). International Journal of Innovation in Management, Economics, and Social Sciences The Impact of Authentic Leadership on Employees’ Innovative Behavior with the Mediating Role of Psychological Capital. Journal Homepage: Www.Ijimes.Ir Int. J. Inn. Man. Eco. Soc. Sci, 5(1), 21–37. www.ijimes.ir
Bos-Nehles, A., Renkema, M., & Janssen, M. (2017). HRM and innovative work behaviour: a systematic literature review. In Personnel Review (Vol. 46, Number 7, pp. 1228–1253). Emerald Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1108/pr-09-2016-0257
Busola Oluwafemi, T., Mitchelmore, S., & Nikolopoulos, K. (2020). Leading innovation: Empirical evidence for ambidextrous leadership from UK high-tech SMEs. Journal of Business Research, 119, 195–208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.10.035
Chen, W., Zhu, X., Sun, S., Liao, S., & Guo, Z. (2021). The Impact of Employees’ Psychological Capital on Innovative Work Behavior: The Chain Mediating Effect of Knowledge Donating and Knowledge Collecting. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.761399
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
De Jong, J., & Den Hartog, D. (2010). Measuring innovative work behaviour. Creativity and Innovation Management, 19(1), 23–36. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8691.2010.00547.x
Dinesh Babu, M., Bijay Prasad, K., & Tara Prasad, U. (2024). Impact of ambidextrous leadership on innovative work behaviour and employee performance in the IT sector. In Heliyon (Vol. 10, Number 13). Elsevier Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33124
Dolot, A. (2018). The characteristics of Generation Z. E-Mentor, (74), 44–50. https://doi.org/10.15219/em74.1351
Drucker, P. F. (n.d.). Knowledge-Worker Productivity: THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE.
Etikariena, A., & Muluk, H. (2014). Correlation between Organizational Memory and Innovative Work Behavior. Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia, 18(2), 77. https://doi.org/10.7454/mssh.v18i2.3463
Guo, T., Zhang, D., Yang, J., & Xia, J. (2025). Exploring how the ambidextrous leadership influences knowledge workers innovative behavior: a two stage SEM-ANN analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1560726
Haider, S. A., Zubair, M., Tehseen, S., Iqbal, S., & Sohail, M. (2023). How does ambidextrous leadership promote innovation in project-based construction companies? Through mediating role of knowledge-sharing and moderating role of innovativeness. European Journal of Innovation Management, 26(1), 99–118. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-02-2021-0083
Hsu, M. L. A., & Chen, F. H. (2017). The Cross-Level Mediating Effect of Psychological Capital on the Organizational Innovation Climate–Employee Innovative Behavior Relationship. Journal of Creative Behavior, 51(2), 128–139. https://doi.org/10.1002/jocb.90
Iazzolino, G., & Laise, D. (2018). Knowledge worker productivity: is it really impossible to measure it? Measuring Business Excellence, 22(4), 346–361. https://doi.org/10.1108/MBE-06-2018-0035
Impact of Ambidextrous Leadership on Innovative Work Behavior: Mediating Role of Individual Ambidexterity. (2023). Journal of Development and Social Sciences, 4(I). https://doi.org/10.47205/jdss.2023(4-i)09
Janssen, O. (2000). Job demands, perceptions of effort-reward fairness and innovative work behaviour. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 73(3), 287–302. https://doi.org/10.1348/096317900167038
Muzakki, M., Herachwati, N., Mudzakkir, M. F., Sabar, S., Yogatama, G. A., & Arsyad, I. E. W. (2025). Enhancing public service team innovation through ambidextrous leadership: the mediating and moderating roles of team learning and trust in leaders. Journal of Workplace Learning, 37(7–8), 455–475. https://doi.org/10.1108/JWL-12-2024-0272
Ornstein, S., Cron, W. L., & Slocum, J. W. (1989). Life stage versus career stage: A comparative test of the theories of Levinson and Super. In JOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR (Vol. 10).
Rosing, K., Frese, M., & Bausch, A. (2011). Explaining the heterogeneity of the leadership-innovation relationship: Ambidextrous leadership. Leadership Quarterly, 22(5), 956–974. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2011.07.014
Rosing, K., & Zacher, H. (n.d.). AMBIDEXTROUS LEADERSHIP 1 Ambidextrous Leadership: A Review of Theoretical Developments and Empirical Evidence.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (1985). Self-Determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic Motivation, Social Development, and Well-Being Self-Determination Theory. Ryan.
Saad Javeid, M., Rachmawati, R., Gul, A., & Yaseen, M. (n.d.). Jurnal Riset Manajemen Sains Indonesia The Effect of Ambidextrous Leadership on Employee Performance: The Mediating Role of Innovative Behavior and Work Engagement. Jurnal Riset Manajemen Sains Indonesia, 16(2), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.21109/JRMSI.016.2.01
Sabrina, N., Istiqomah, N., Humaya, S., & Rahmatul Burhan, M. (2024). Al-Dalil Dilema Perusahaan kepada Generasi Gen Z dari Dampak Positif dan Negatif Perilaku Cyberloafing. 2(3).
Senyard, J., Baker, T., Steffens, P., & Davidsson, P. (2014). Bricolage as a path to innovativeness for resource-constrained new firms. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 31(2), 211–230. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpim.12091
Wang, S., Eva, N., Newman, A., & Zhou, H. (2021). A double-edged sword: the effects of ambidextrous leadership on follower innovative behaviors. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 38(4), 1305–1326. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10490-020-09714-0
Zhao, F., Wang, L., Chen, Y., & Hu, W. (2022). Ambidextrous human resource practices and individual creativity—A cross-layer multi-time analysis based on psychological capital and QLMX. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.944616
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2026-08-01
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