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Purpose This study aims to examine authentic leadership behavior (ALB) and empowering leadership behavior (ELB) as predictors of innovative work behavior (IWB) while assessing the mediating role of work-family enrichment (WFE). Design/methodology/approach Through the explanatory research design, data was retrieved from 303 respondents from 16 small-sized hotels in Ghana and analyzed quantitatively using descriptive and inferential statistics (hierarchical component analysis within PLS-SEM). Findings The study’s findings revealed that both ALB and ELB positively and significantly relate to IWB. Additionally, our study found that WFE partially mediated the nexus between ALB and IWB as well as ELB and IWB. Practical implications The findings of our study imply that in the pursuit of excellence, ALB and ELB in the hospitality industry are crucial, as they not only nurture employee potential but also help employees to thrive both at home and at the workplace. Originality/value The hospitality literature lacks a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanism by which ALB and ELB influence IWB. To the best of the authors' knowledge, our study is the first empirical study conducted on ALB, ELB, WFE, and IWB in the hospitality industry.
Kyei-Frimpong et al. (Thu,) studied this question.