Nexus of Strategic Thinking, Knowledge-Oriented Leadership, and Employee Creativity in Higher Education Institutes

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine strategic thinking and knowledge-oriented leadership influence employees' creativity in the setting of Jordanian private universities.   Theoretical framework: The study employed Path Goal Theory to clarify the interaction of the variables used in Higher Education Institutes to address the issue.   Design/methodology/approach: The research used a “partial least squares-structural equation modeling” approach to examine the gathered data. For analysis purpose, was developed and empirically verified with data (n = 143) obtained from a random sample of private universities in Jordan.   Findings: The result found that Strategic thinking promotes and increases employee creativity. However, knowledge-oriented leadership moderates the causal association between strategic thinking and employee creativity.   Research implications: The results are presented taking into account the relevant research as well as the practical implications for higher education administrators.   Originality/value: The novel theoretical contribution that was made by this study is its emphasis on knowledge-oriented leadership as a moderator in the link between strategic thinking and employee creativity.