WORK ENGAGEMENT AS A MEDIATOR OF THE EFFECT OF LEADERSHIP AGILITY ON INNOVATIVE BEHAVIOR

Start-ups are required to frequently undergo changes and innovations in their performance. This is because the situation forces them to overcome resource scarcity and align internal resources acquired with external conditions. Innovation is needed so that start-up companies can adapt to the rapidly changing business world. In this case, employees who demonstrate innovative behavior are highly needed. Factors predicted to contribute to innovative behavior are leadership, and among them is employee work engagement. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of work engagement as a mediator of the influence of leadership on employee innovative behavior. The research subjects are start-up employees, including millennials. The measurement instruments used are the leadership agility scale, work engagement scale, and innovative behavior scale. Data analysis technique uses mediation regression analysis. The results show that work engagement fully mediates the influence of leadership agility on the innovative behavior of start-up employees.