Transformational Leadership and Innovative Work Behavior in an IT Department of a Public Organization in the Kingdom of Bahrain

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to provide an understanding of the role that transformational leadership plays in innovative work behavior of employees in an IT department of a public organization in Bahrain. An online questionnaire hyperlink was sent to 127 randomly chosen employees. The completed and submitted questionnaires were 98, at a response rate of 77%. Results of the Spearman rank correlation tests indicated that there were significant relationships between transformational factors and employees' innovative behavior, except for the idealized influence factor that showed no significant relationships. Furthermore, the study found significant relationships between innovative behaviors and employee demographic variables (gender and academic qualification). Managers need to react positively to the innovative efforts of employees and provide them with resources and rewards needed for innovation.