| Abstract [eng] |
This thesis provides research on the importance of inclusive leadership as a critical process by which diversity can be converted into innovation within global technological projects. The nature of project teams' work with a high degree of demographic, functional, as well as cognitive diversity due to the rise of technology-driven projects that work over national, cultural, and virtual borders. Although diversity is commonly advanced as an engine of innovation, previous studies report conflicting results, alluding that diversity by itself might also cause coordination issues, disharmony and less productive results. This paradox is addressed in this study because inclusive leadership is deemed an important mediating factor that can facilitate innovative outcomes. The main focus of the study is to investigate the role of inclusive leadership in diversity management and vice versa in terms of its impact on the performance of innovation in global technology projects. To accomplish this goal, the research takes a pragmatic convergent parallel mixed-methodology approach. The data represented the quantity of the collected information were gathered via the structured survey of 124 representatives working on the global technology project in Europe, Asia, and North America (as project managers, technical specialists, and junior team consultants). The scales that measured inclusive leadership, diversity, and innovation were established and proven to be valid and analysed with the help of descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression modelling. Simultaneously, qualitative data were collected using 15 purposively sampled participants with semi-structured responses to obtain some contextual and experience-based information about inclusive leadership practise and innovation processes. The statistics indicate good, positive associate connections between inclusive leadership and diversity (r = 0.68, p < 0.01) and between inclusive leadership and innovation (r = 0.63, p < 0.01). Only diversity showed a response value of moderate with regard to innovation (r = 0.52), which implies that its innovative ability is a contingent and not automatic response. Regression analysis supported the inclusive leadership as the best predictor associated with innovation performance (b = 0.47), with diversity serving as a partial mediator. These findings are a rational support to the essential premise that inclusive leadership is a transformative capability that turns diversity as a dormant demographic state into an effective strategic resource through the creation of a sense of psychological safety, trust, and participatory influence. These statistical relationships are supported and put into context by the qualitative findings. The four hegemonic themes are psychological safety, cross-cultural trust, empowerment, and a climate of innovation, which are applicable to explain the operation of inclusive leadership in practise. Those involved indicated that the inclusive leaders always fostered open voice, legitimised dissent and spread responsibility both in hierarchical and cultural grounds. Such behaviours can eliminate fear of failure, overcome virtual and cultural separation, and encourage experimentation and learning. The paper adds to theory by consolidating the concepts of inclusive leadership, diversity and innovation into one project-driven model, which is a significant gap in the existing body of research largely focused on organisation-focused leadership. In practise, it places the idea of inclusive leadership as not a normative desire but as a strategic ability to be innovative in the international technology projects. The results offer practical recommendations to project managers and organisations that are interested in institutionalising inclusive leadership as a strategy to realise the full innovative potential of diverse, globally dispersed teams. |
