Organizational Justice, Leader Humility, and Service Employees’ Innovative Behavior in a Collectivistic Culture: The Case of Pakistan

Abstract Purpose: This study serves two purposes: first, it analyzes the effects of the overall perception of justice in service industry organizations on their employees’ innovative behavior; second, it investigates whether leader humility moderates the relationship between the aforementioned constructs. Design/methodology/approach: This study is quantitative in nature. A cross-sectional survey method was used to collect data from 359 respondents, and a PROCESS macro for SPSS was used for the moderation analysis. Findings: The results show that employees who perceive fairness within their organization will reciprocate with innovativeness and that humility is a positive factor that increases innovative behaviors. Originality/value: Few studies have addressed the effect of the overall perception of justice on individuals’ innovative behavior in service industries in developing economies and collectivist cultures. There is also a lack of empirical support regarding the role of leader humility in employees’ innovative behavior. This study provides new insights into service employees’ innovative behavior in a collectivist society and has implications for managers working in the services sector.