Unravelling t-KIBS performance: leadership, organisational culture, and learning as boosters of service innovation

ABSTRACT The search for better organisational performance requires leaders to promote knowledge-based solutions, encouraging a culture focused on continuous learning, with innovation as the key to increasing competitiveness. Organisations that use intensive knowledge based on technology -t-KIBS- play an important role in the creation, transfer, and integration of knowledge, facilitating innovation for their customers. The objective of this study was to assess the joint influence of transformational leadership, organisational culture, organisational learning, and service innovation on the firm performance of tech firms. This quantitative, survey-typed, and cross-sectional research was conducted in a sample of 242 t-KIBS firms. For data analysis, we used structural equations modelling by partial least squares. Our findings suggest that transformational leadership positively influences organisational culture and learning, which positively influence service innovation and organisational performance. Therefore, to overcome market challenges, surprise customers, and improve organisational performance and innovativeness, t-KIBS leaders must stimulate employees, improving organisational learning capability.