The effect of path-goal leadership styles on employees' innovative work behavior : an empirical study of a woman-owned firm in Vietnam | |
| Author | Nguyen Chi Doan Hanh |
| Call Number | AIT Diss. no.DBA-SOM-24-08 |
| Subject(s) | Leadership--Vietnam Management--Vietnam Women-owned business enterprises--Vietnam |
| Note | A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Business Administration |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | The path–goal theory of leadership, while fundamental, practical, and significant, has been largely overlooked owing to certain criticisms and limitations. Despite the economic importance of women entrepreneurs, research on innovation in women owned enterprises is lacking. In addition, supervisor–subordinate relationships (leader– member exchange, or LMX), task role ambiguity (RA), and employees’ need for personal achievement (growth need strength, or GNS) may impact the effect of path– goal leadership styles on innovative work behavior (IWB); however, these variables have not been examined in the context of IT firms run by women. To address this gap and the theory’s limitations, this dissertation examines how LMX, GNS, and task RA moderate the relationships between path–goal leadership styles and subordinates’ IWB in a Vietnamese woman-owned business. This study also investigates how a woman entrepreneur, despite lacking information and communication technology (ICT) knowledge, successfully runs an IT service company. The study employs both quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze data obtained from 378 employees, 90 immediate supervisors who completed the two e-surveys, and 9 key informants who participated in in-depth qualitative interviews. The empirical findings suggest that organizations should promote path–goal leadership styles and enhance leader–subordinate interactions. The moderating effects of LMX, RA, and GNS on path–goal leadership styles and IWB were confirmed. The study infers that companies and leaders should recognize the role of LMX, GNS, and RA to foster subordinates’ IWB, develop leadership development programs, and design talent management policies accordingly. In addition, in-depth interviews analyzed from the social exchange theory perspective, considering gender socialization and gender capital, show that the success of women entrepreneurs depends on their ability to develop their identity and power, and improve gender relations with spouses, which in turn builds employees’ trust and contributes to women entrepreneurs’s success. The study findings show that in certain circumstances, men can promote women’s advancement. This study makes four key theoretical contributions: it (1) extends the social exchange theory through LMX; (2) improves the functionality of the path–goal theory; (3) offers new insights into the literature on women entrepreneurs; and (4) discusses the emerging role of servant and transformational leadership in women-owned firms in the IT industry. The findings provide practical insights into leadership development, talent management, and women entrepreneurs’ advancement. |
| Year | 2024 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Management |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration (Publication code = DBA-SM, SM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Vimolwan Yukongdi |
| Examination Committee(s) | Kusakabe, Kyoko;Zimmerman, Willi |
| Degree | Thesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2024 |