Unlocking innovative work behavior through paradoxical leadership, work autonomy and creative deviance: A hybrid SEM-ML approach

preprint OA: closed CC-BY-4.0

Abstract

Abstract Innovative work behavior is crucial for maintaining long-term competitiveness and organizational growth. Promoting this behavior is essential and requires discretion, flexibility, and the acceptance of constructive deviation while upholding organizational discipline. Therefore, managing these conflicting demands is vital for leadership. Based on paradox and self-determination theories, we explore how paradoxical leadership impacts innovative work behavior through work autonomy and creative deviance. Self-reported responses were gathered in three waves from 427 employees at software development companies across Pakistan. This study used a hybrid analytical approach combining PLS-SEM with machine learning techniques. The results show that paradoxical leadership significantly enhances innovative work behavior and that work autonomy and creative deviance partly mediate this relationship. Additionally, machine learning analyses indicated that paradoxical leadership was the most influential predictor of innovative work behavior and identified mild nonlinear patterns involving paradoxical leadership and work autonomy. This study discusses contributions and provides practical implications for both theory and practice.
Full text 16,094 characters · extracted from preprint-html · click to expand
Unlocking innovative work behavior through paradoxical leadership, work autonomy and creative deviance: A hybrid SEM-ML approach | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Unlocking innovative work behavior through paradoxical leadership, work autonomy and creative deviance: A hybrid SEM-ML approach Muhammad Saeed, Songsong Li, Weiqian Zhang, Zawar Hussain This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8410915/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Innovative work behavior is crucial for maintaining long-term competitiveness and organizational growth. Promoting this behavior is essential and requires discretion, flexibility, and the acceptance of constructive deviation while upholding organizational discipline. Therefore, managing these conflicting demands is vital for leadership. Based on paradox and self-determination theories, we explore how paradoxical leadership impacts innovative work behavior through work autonomy and creative deviance. Self-reported responses were gathered in three waves from 427 employees at software development companies across Pakistan. This study used a hybrid analytical approach combining PLS-SEM with machine learning techniques. The results show that paradoxical leadership significantly enhances innovative work behavior and that work autonomy and creative deviance partly mediate this relationship. Additionally, machine learning analyses indicated that paradoxical leadership was the most influential predictor of innovative work behavior and identified mild nonlinear patterns involving paradoxical leadership and work autonomy. This study discusses contributions and provides practical implications for both theory and practice. Paradoxical Leadership Innovative Work Behavior Work Autonomy Creative Deviance Machine Learning Predictive Modeling Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8410915","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":578075882,"identity":"21f5e147-fd65-4f48-96fa-77b7157bdc2f","order_by":0,"name":"Muhammad Saeed","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABDElEQVRIie3OsUrEMBjA8UigU3OuPY4+ghAJxEG5Z7EEbkqdC0otCLqIt3pw2lfIlDklYJc+QMXlXDqdWG5xuEFjjzrFU5wc8h8+Pj74kQDgcv3L/G7uZN2ebC7q6/IzqUDQEfVrgi43BGwje7dxsXrk4zC/0sXi5T5NsUKFbsFRKBRsFhZC6xM2iiUjopqw/TupA6wGx+ZjEyKUd4CthGNDYCQApyMklSE+NkRHQvleYCdkHcvzKJ++vq3RPO3J+zZCzSs6ymruQZTBnqjvSbWkh7EsiagbMpw/6OFMG1JhRmbao1ZScvIUy9Mwn7LndnmW7g7Ka9ImyTi8KS8aG7EEPwfuF5fL5XL9pQ9BxG5v7yDV3QAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Harbin Institute of Technology","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Muhammad","middleName":"","lastName":"Saeed","suffix":""},{"id":578075883,"identity":"09b9ea20-54ae-433d-adea-5e44287d583f","order_by":1,"name":"Songsong Li","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Harbin Institute of Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Songsong","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""},{"id":578075885,"identity":"ec9c35bc-23a0-4601-aae1-c648e8773fe3","order_by":2,"name":"Weiqian Zhang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Harbin Institute of Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Weiqian","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhang","suffix":""},{"id":578075886,"identity":"26ea4f9d-6706-4e82-b504-00c168ef53b7","order_by":3,"name":"Zawar Hussain","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Xi'an FanYi University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zawar","middleName":"","lastName":"Hussain","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-12-20 09:08:20","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8410915/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8410915/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":100952191,"identity":"4dae07b4-39ef-4e49-af62-9d7bd0a63a8d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-23 07:12:11","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":699690,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Manuscript.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8410915/v1/5f428ae5184258a088787bd3.docx"},{"id":100926577,"identity":"153b9813-dcd8-475d-883f-f4311372b444","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-22 22:48:24","extension":"json","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":5569,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"f7d23cad826c4f63b505b33a87729db4.json","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8410915/v1/228f24d83251723b50ee1d3a.json"},{"id":100926582,"identity":"b2d76c31-3df1-461b-b2d5-ca439b3e1b93","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-22 22:48:24","extension":"xml","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":189798,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"f7d23cad826c4f63b505b33a87729db41enriched.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8410915/v1/c997316b6a2c05f784e81a7c.xml"},{"id":100951684,"identity":"76df2995-3b9f-47b4-92bf-874b38fe26bd","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-23 07:11:05","extension":"jpeg","order_by":3,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":645024,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8410915/v1/9c25a3b27bcc66af9e39f2d1.jpeg"},{"id":100951672,"identity":"127b10b3-ff43-4a78-9b59-62ada1c0da85","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-23 07:11:04","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":24557,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8410915/v1/411428dfea64ca262e3c3ebc.png"},{"id":100926578,"identity":"e7c3af29-12d1-47ba-aab1-65adac5b29e3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-22 22:48:24","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":66704,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8410915/v1/1052a99b2f2ee2d48be4f294.png"},{"id":100951620,"identity":"79fa660d-322b-476a-8cb9-6568d0d1919e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-23 07:10:59","extension":"png","order_by":6,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":147668,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8410915/v1/35a4f197fdf3eac6695f9194.png"},{"id":100950823,"identity":"4caba736-42b9-4ff6-8bf8-a8b03f734b42","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-23 07:09:20","extension":"png","order_by":7,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":142802,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8410915/v1/9cff6fbc91899efd130d15d9.png"},{"id":100926584,"identity":"d16d3016-a87f-474d-849b-7008d3f7de9f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-22 22:48:24","extension":"png","order_by":8,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":8319,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8410915/v1/0e338d430be6260034f99df2.png"},{"id":100926580,"identity":"ec3fb0b3-2fc1-4126-a519-4af5872ee89d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-22 22:48:24","extension":"png","order_by":9,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":14807,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8410915/v1/2fe2ba66669ccd8d05a9a6e6.png"},{"id":100926585,"identity":"220fdc12-34ce-4da5-b845-80faebe377aa","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-22 22:48:24","extension":"png","order_by":10,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":66740,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8410915/v1/f464a84983034c77e414ddd6.png"},{"id":100926589,"identity":"f41005a0-4fe3-424a-9f51-04463f63884f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-22 22:48:25","extension":"xml","order_by":11,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":186734,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"f7d23cad826c4f63b505b33a87729db41structuring.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8410915/v1/d03d7457a361b2e4413d74fa.xml"},{"id":100926588,"identity":"77774281-8dfb-4cbb-b0b2-c1f541bf6436","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-22 22:48:25","extension":"html","order_by":12,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":206423,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8410915/v1/032d9d2d44a41d436870da2d.html"},{"id":102276501,"identity":"fd5985db-326f-484b-b358-5dd8cf37bccc","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-10 05:56:11","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":580387,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8410915/v1_covered_3eb8e22a-8a10-4d6c-866d-b5e36e178b9a.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Unlocking innovative work behavior through paradoxical leadership, work autonomy and creative deviance: A hybrid SEM-ML approach","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Paradoxical Leadership, Innovative Work Behavior, Work Autonomy, Creative Deviance, Machine Learning, Predictive Modeling","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8410915/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8410915/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eInnovative work behavior is crucial for maintaining long-term competitiveness and organizational growth. Promoting this behavior is essential and requires discretion, flexibility, and the acceptance of constructive deviation while upholding organizational discipline. Therefore, managing these conflicting demands is vital for leadership. Based on paradox and self-determination theories, we explore how paradoxical leadership impacts innovative work behavior through work autonomy and creative deviance. Self-reported responses were gathered in three waves from 427 employees at software development companies across Pakistan. This study used a hybrid analytical approach combining PLS-SEM with machine learning techniques. The results show that paradoxical leadership significantly enhances innovative work behavior and that work autonomy and creative deviance partly mediate this relationship. Additionally, machine learning analyses indicated that paradoxical leadership was the most influential predictor of innovative work behavior and identified mild nonlinear patterns involving paradoxical leadership and work autonomy. This study discusses contributions and provides practical implications for both theory and practice.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Unlocking innovative work behavior through paradoxical leadership, work autonomy and creative deviance: A hybrid SEM-ML approach","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-01-22 22:48:20","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8410915/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"88fc95d6-e754-49b6-be5f-eaa03b1425d2","owner":[],"postedDate":"January 22nd, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-02-10T05:55:47+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-01-22 22:48:20","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8410915","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8410915","identity":"rs-8410915","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}

Text is read by the "Ask this paper" AI Q&A widget below. Extraction quality varies by source — PMC NXML preserves structure cleanly, OA-HTML may include some navigation residue, and OA-PDF can have broken hyphenation. The publisher copy (via DOI) is the canonical version.

My notes (saved in your browser only)

Ask this paper AI returns verbatim quotes from the full text · source: preprint-html

Answers must be backed by verbatim quotes from this paper's full text. Hallucinated quotes are dropped automatically; if no verbatim passage answers the question, we say so. How this works

Citation neighborhood (no data yet)

We don't have any in-corpus citations linked to this paper yet. This is a recent paper (2026) — citers typically take a year or two to land, and the OpenAlex reference graph may still be filling in.

Source provenance

europepmc
last seen: 2026-05-20T01:45:00.602351+00:00
unpaywall
last seen: 2026-05-29T02:00:03.542394+00:00
License: CC-BY-4.0