STRATEGIC INNOVATION AND ETHICAL LEADERSHIP AS CATALYSTS FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH IN TELECOMMUNICATION FIRMS IN NIGERIA
Kingsley Lazarus Uwa, PhD and Inemesit Enobong Uwah, PhD
Volume 14 Issue 2
Abstract
This study examined the effect of strategic innovation on the sustainable growth of telecommunication firms in Nigeria, with particular emphasis on business model innovation and technological innovation, with the moderating role of ethical leadership. The study was motivated by the increasing need for telecommunication firms to respond effectively to rapid technological changes, intense competition, changing customer expectations and the growing demand for sustainable organizational performance. The study adopted a quantitative research design, using a structured questionnaire to obtain data from respondents in selected telecommunication firms in Nigeria. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential techniques, including multiple regression and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. The results revealed that strategic innovation significantly predicts sustainable growth. Specifically, business model innovation had a positive and significant effect on sustainable growth (β = 0.676, p < 0.001), while technological innovation also had a positive and significant effect (β = 0.304, p < 0.001). The combined model explained 90.5% of the variation in sustainable growth (R² = 0.905), and the overall regression model was statistically significant (F(2,40) = 1149.227, p < 0.001). Furthermore, ethical leadership significantly moderated the relationship between strategic innovation and sustainable growth. The interaction effect was positive and significant (β = 0.784, t = 14.101, p < 0.001), while the inclusion of the interaction term increased the explanatory power of the model by 6.9% (ΔR² = 0.069, p < 0.001). The study concludes that strategic innovation, particularly business model and technological innovation, are critical to sustainable growth in Nigerian telecommunication firms, while ethical leadership strengthens the capacity of firms to translate innovation into sustainable growth outcomes. The study recommends that telecommunication firms should integrate innovation strategies with ethical leadership practices that would strengthen investment in emerging technologies a continuous to promote responsible innovation for enhanced competitiveness and long-term growth. Keywords: Strategic Innovation; Business Model Innovation; Technological Innovation; Ethical Leadership; Sustainable Growth.
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