Emotional Intelligence and Innovative Work Behaviour: Examining the Mediating Effect of Creative Self-Efficacy

This study analyses how leader emotional intelligence affects innovative work behaviour through creative self-efficacy. The study investigates how emotionally intelligent leaders inspire workplace creativity and innovation. Methodology, the study targeted Pakistani private limited company software house team leaders. The study employed Smart PLS software to analyse data from a closed-ended questionnaire using probability sampling to eliminate researcher bias and minimise sampling error. The results reveal that leader emotional intelligence boosts creative self-efficacy significantly. Leaders who understand and manage emotions can boost employee creativity confidence. Innovative work behavior is also positively and considerably affected by creative self-efficacy. Creativity-driven employees are more likely to innovate, solve issues, and produce new ideas. Leader emotional intelligence also affects innovative work behaviour, but less than creative self-efficacy. This demonstrates that creative self-efficacy partially mediates leader emotional intelligence and innovative work behaviour. This model should work with a bigger, more diversified population in future studies. Researchers may also consider organisational support, psychological empowerment, employee motivation, and workplace culture. Future studies can use longitudinal data to examine how leader emotional intelligence affects creative self-efficacy and innovative work behaviour over time.