Integrative leadership for technology innovation

Abstract

Leading teams to bring about new technologies successfully during fast-changing times can be challenging. In the current era, people are more connected than before and able to access knowledge, networks, equipment and services themselves without corporate structures and management permission. Industrial age management practices appear inadequate for technology innovation in the innovation economy, while the literature reveals surprisingly little evidence of research into leader competencies across the technology innovation process. This paper reports the results of an exploratory mixed-methods study involving successful technology innovation leaders who were identified through peer-referenced snowball sampling. Qualitative research triangulated expert opinions, case materials, workshops results and the literature to identify leadership competencies. A measurement instrument was developed for the quantitative research, which involved eligible respondents rating the significance of identified leader behaviours. Statistically significant relationships were found in a hypothetical competency model through exploratory PLS-SEM analysis. The results reinforced some previously identified competencies, and contributed to understanding and identifying additional innovation leader competencies, including integrative leader competencies, to lead technology innovation into the future.