Appreciative leadership, which entails recognition, positivity, and leveraging the strengths of employees, is increasingly being linked directly to organizational innovation. However, the mechanisms by which this leadership is linked to innovation are still not clearly understood, particularly with respect to the role of job satisfaction and organizational culture. This study examines the impact of appreciative leadership on innovation in high-tech firms in Jordan, moderated by organizational culture and mediated by job satisfaction. We collected the data quantitatively through a structured survey, which yielded a valid response rate of 279 for analysis. Findings show that appreciative leadership has a significant impact on enhancing organizational innovation and job satisfaction, demonstrating the critical role played by leadership in creating a lively and innovative workforce. Furthermore, job satisfaction is found to be a significant mediating variable, demonstrating that a satisfied workforce is likely to yield innovation and organizational agility. Contrary to expectations, organizational culture did not exhibit a significant moderating effect, suggesting that external factors or industry-specific dynamics may play a more influential role in shaping this relationship. These results provide valuable theoretical and practical insights, highlighting the importance of leadership strategies that enhance employee well-being to stimulate innovation. Organizations seeking to cultivate innovation-driven cultures should invest in recognition programs, participatory leadership, and strength-based management approaches. Future research should explore additional contextual variables that may further elucidate the interplay between appreciative leadership and innovation.
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