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SCIENCE ARTICLE
The Nexus between Participative Leadership and Followers Creativity: Role of Willingness to Risk-Taking as Behavioral Mechanism
Dr. Md Nurun Nabi 1
,
 
Md. Amdadul Hoque 2
,
 
Md. Farijul Islam 3
,
 
Syed Mudasser Abbas 4
,
 
Md. Ahashan Habib 5
,
 
Dr. Md. Shelim Miah 6
,
 
Marzia Yesmin 7
 
 
 
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1
Textile Engineering Management, Bangladesh University of Textiles, Bangladesh
 
2
Department of Finance and Banking, Comilla University, Bangladesh
 
3
Department of Marketing, Jagannath University, Bangladesh
 
4
Institute of Business Studies, Kohat University of Technology and Science, Pakistan
 
5
Department of Textile Engineering Management, Bangladesh University of Textiles, Bangladesh
 
6
Southeast Business School, Southeast University, Bangladesh
 
7
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Bangladesh University of Textiles, Bangladesh
 
 
Submission date: 2025-02-11
 
 
Final revision date: 2025-04-27
 
 
Acceptance date: 2025-05-06
 
 
Online publication date: 2025-06-16
 
 
Publication date: 2025-06-25
 
 
Corresponding author
Dr. Md Nurun Nabi   

Textile Engineering Management, Bangladesh University of Textiles, Tejgaon, Industrial Area, 1208, Dhaka, Bangladesh
 
 
Management 2025;(1):492-530
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58691/man/204732
 
 
Article (PDF)
References (70)
 
KEYWORDS
participative leadership
willingness to risk-taking
follower radical creativity
follower incremental creativity
developing country
emerging economics
 
JEL CLASSIFICATION CODES
M1
M12
Q56
M12
M14
 
TOPICS
Human resources management
Organisation and management systems design
Psychology in management
 
ABSTRACT
Research background and purpose:
The main objective of this research is to investigate the effects of participative leadership (PL) on followers creativity including follower radical creativity (FRC) and follower incremental creativity (FIC) of Bangladeshi textile employees. In addition, this and alsoresearch also examine whether the willingness to risk-taking (WRC) (a behavioral mechanism) mediates the aforementioned relationship in Asia’s manufacturing contexts.

Design/methodology/approach:
In this quantitative exploratory study, 349 respondents from Bangladesh's technology and labor-intensive textile industries participated in a survey. The research used the random as well as purposive sampling in accordance prior research. The research employs a deductive methodology in order to examine the hypotheses, utilizing SPSS 26 and SMART PLS 3.8.

Findings:
The findings revealed that participatory leadership was positively related to willingness to risk-taking as well as follower radical, and incremental creativity. Furthermore, willingness to risk-taking is also positively correlated to follower radical and incremental creativity. In addition, the findings also indicated that risk-taking had a positive and substantial role in mediating the aforementioned association between participative leadership and follower radical and incremental creativity.

Value added and limitations:
In contrast to the previous conventional social exchange theory (SET), this study expands the focus of SET by examining the relationship between participative leadership and follower radical and incremental creativity in relation to willingness to take risks. This research adds to the existing body of literature on the connection between leaders and followers. This research also contributes to the expanding literature on how workers in textile firms may promote both radical and incremental creativity and develop the creative innovation inside their company. It also explores strategies for inspiring followers to embrace risk-taking and engaging in both radical and incremental creativity activities that can improve organizational creative performances. The study's shortcomings and potential avenues for more investigation are explored.
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