What drives team innovative performance? Examining the role of servant leadership, psychological safety and employee resilience

Purpose This research aims to examine the influence of servant leadership on team innovative performance. In addition, it also seeks to study the mediating role of psychological safety and employee resilience in the relationship between servant leadership and team innovative performance. Design/methodology/approach This quantitative research gathers data from the 317 respondents working in IT companies. Structural equation modelling is utilized to analyse the structural relationship among the constructs. The reliability and validity of the variables are also measured to assess the fitness of the measurement model. Findings The findings indicate that servant leadership has a significant and positive influence on psychological safety, employee resilience and team innovative performance. Additionally, this study also shows that psychological safety plays a positive mediating role the relationship between servant leadership and team innovative performance. However, the findings suggest that employee resilience does not mediate in the relationship between servant leadership and team innovative performance, and it is also noted as a weak predictor of team innovative performance. Practical implications This study recommends the incorporation of servant leadership values in the staffing and leadership processes of the organizations. The primary qualities of servant leadership such as humility, authenticity and stewardship will create a climate where people will feel dignified, confident to contribute and speak up. Second, this study highlights the significance of servant leaders in creating a workplace where people’s aspirations and thoughts are nurtured, ultimately leading to improved innovative performance. Third, this study signifies the importance of psychological safety for innovative team performance. This can be achieved by introducing psychological safety interventions and change programs. Additionally, it can also be done by formulating policies related to promoting voice behaviour and encouraging the breaking of silence in the workplace. In this regard, the role of various stakeholders such as managers, employees and the human resource department could be specified in policies and procedures. Originality/value The research makes a twofold contribution to the existing literature. First, this research provides empirical evidence to the connection between servant leadership and team innovative performance, a relationship that received little attention from leadership researchers. Second, this research signifies the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotion to elucidate the mediation path involving servant leadership, psychological safety and team innovative performance.