Explaining the Relationship between Ethical Leadership and Innovation in Urban Management with the Mediating Role of Cognitive Flexibility: A Survey Study in Mashhad Municipality
Subject Areas : Policy making, Human resource Management, Transformation Management, Organizational Behavior Management, Adaptive Management and Development
Mohammad Barzegar
1
,
Mahdi Jahani
2
*
,
Vafa Arjmandi Nejad
3
1 - Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, Iran
2 - Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, Iran
3 - Assisstant Proffessor of Hekmat Razavi Institute
Keywords: Ethical leadership, innovation, cognitive flexibility, urban management, Mashhad Municipality,
Abstract :
This study aims to explain the relationship between ethical leadership and innovation in urban management, with the mediating role of cognitive flexibility in the context of Mashhad Municipality. The research employed a survey method using a standard questionnaire and simple random sampling with a sample size of 108 participants. The analysis results revealed that ethical leadership has a positive and significant effect on both innovation in urban management and cognitive flexibility. Additionally, cognitive flexibility significantly influences innovation in urban management. The correlation coefficients between ethical leadership and innovation in urban management (0.72), ethical leadership and cognitive flexibility (0.68), and cognitive flexibility and innovation in urban management (0.55) indicate strong relationships. Model fit indices such as the Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA), and Chi-square to degrees of freedom ratio showed a good fit of the research model. All research hypotheses were confirmed, supporting the validity of the findings. One of the limitations of this study is its exclusive focus on Mashhad Municipality and the use of self-reported questionnaires, which may affect the accuracy and generalizability of the results. The study recommends that urban managers strengthen this type of leadership to enhance innovative processes in urban organizations.
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