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Innovation can create value for an organization and its stakeholders. In developing an innovation blueprint in complex contexts, such as construction, previous studies have alleged that transformational leadership is an important determinant of innovation. This study aims to investigate the role of innovation climate and learning transfer climate on the relationships between leadership and innovation in the construction sector. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 158 returns from 500 respondents (client developers, construction consultants, and contractors in China). The findings reveal that (1) support for innovation (innovation climate factor) moderates the effects of intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration (transformational leadership factor), and contingent rewards (transactional leadership factor) on innovation, and (2) performance self-efficacy (learning transfer climate factor) moderates the effects of intellectual stimulation (transformational leadership factor) and contingent rewards (transactional leadership factor) on innovation. This study reveals the intertwining relationships between leadership, climates, and innovation and lays a platform for further longitudinal, qualitative studies. Managerial implications are discussed; different leadership and management climates need to be strategically adopted and nurtured in dynamic organizational environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because learning is a key antecedent to innovative activities, more attention needs to be paid to the climate, within the organization or project settings, that supports learning. The objectives of this paper are (1) to empirically examine the influences of the learning transfer climate on innovation and (2) to investigate how the between-group variability in the learning transfer climates of clients, contractors, and consultants affects innovation. The learning transfer climates are assessed in terms of the task-support and motivational elements adopted from the well-tested questionnaire of the Learning Transfer System Inventory. Based on the 147 survey returns collected from construction participants, factor analysis, correlation analysis, and regression analysis are conducted (the latter two using the total sample and the subsamples of client developers, contractors, and consultants). It is found from the total sample that openness to change (task-support element), performance-outcome expectations, and performance self-efficacy (motivational elements) are significant predictors of innovation. Whereas a successful construction project requires the interaction of multiple waves of innovation, contributed by various construction participants throughout the project, it is important to acknowledge the heterogeneity of these participants in considering the innovation process. The results also indicate that, with regard to their innovations, the different groups are influenced by different learning transfer climate factors: clients are affected by openness to change and performance self-efficacy; contractors are affected by openness to change; and consultants are affected by performance-outcome expectations. Analysis of these findings leads to a conceptual model of learning transfer climate and interactions between the clients, contractors, and consultants. From the theoretical perspective, the findings of this study lay ground for an interorganizational framework for further innovation-learning transfer studies. From the managerial perspective, this study provides empirical confirmation of the importance of measuring the learning transfer climate in construction organizations and of developing strategies for facilitating an innovation-conducive climate that fits each particular organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry makes an essential contribution to the environmental and economic development of Hong Kong. However, hindered by various factors, construction has long been recognized as an industry with low innovation. Innovation is essential to the productivity, cost effectiveness, and, more importantly, the sustainable development of any organization and industry. Following rapid globalization, technological advancement, and the trend toward partnering between the public and private sectors, the importance of innovation has increased dramatically for construction firms, particularly for large-size construction firms. However, studies investigating the association between leadership and innovation in the construction context are still rare. Using an innovation climate as a proxy for organizational innovation, this study investigates the effect of leadership on the innovation climate in construction firms. A questionnaire survey was designed and distributed to 300 construction professionals in major (Group C) contractor firms in Hong Kong. A hundred and thirteen valid returns were collected, representing a response rate of 37.7%. The data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha reliability analysis, and structural equation modeling using SPSS version 19 and Lisrel version 8.8. Three leadership factors were identified, namely transformational leadership, development exchange leadership, and corrective avoidant leadership. The results of the structural equation modeling revealed that an innovation climate is predicted positively by transformational leadership and is predicted negatively by development exchange leadership. The results of this study have implications for construction academics and practitioners regarding the importance of leadership to foster innovation in the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]