The role of entrepreneurial leadership and innovative behaviour in health service innovation

Innovation is an essential factor for the survival, growth and competitive advantage of companies and health services. A theoretical model was developed and tested, portraying the interrelationships between entrepreneurial leadership, the leader’s innovative behavior, individual entrepreneurial orientation and innovation. This is a quantitative, descriptive-correlational, and cross-sectional study carried out by applying an online questionnaire to 760 nurses, working in health institutions in Portugal. The results indicate that the leader’s innovative behavior has an impact on innovation in nursing. Innovative behavior strongly influences an individual’s entrepreneurial orientation. Entrepreneurial leadership impacts innovative behavior and individual entrepreneurial orientation, and this last is mediated by the leader’s innovative behavior. The role of individual entrepreneurial orientation in innovation has not been confirmed. This study contributes to the literature on innovation by providing new evidence regarding the benefits of entrepreneurial leadership and the leader’s innovative behavior. It also contributes to the emerging literature on the antecedents of innovation. The results additionally have relevant health management implications.