Shaping Innovation in Education: Transformational Leadership, Knowledge Management, and a Dual PLS-SEM–NCA Approach

Abstract

Purpose: To examine how transformational leadership influences innovation in higher education through a dual analytical approach (PLS-SEM and Necessary Condition Analysis), considering the mediating role of knowledge management capabilities.
Methodology: A postpositivist paradigm with a quantitative, cross-sectional design. Structured surveys were distributed to university professors in Lima (Peru), yielding 235 valid responses. The study examined direct and indirect relationships among transformational leadership, knowledge management capabilities (acquisition, sharing, and application), and innovation.
Results: Transformational leadership influences innovation indirectly via knowledge sharing and knowledge application. The direct effect is not supported, and knowledge acquisition is not significant. NCA shows that transformational leadership, knowledge sharing, and knowledge application constitute necessary conditions for high innovation.
Implications: The findings refine Leadership–Knowledge–Innovation theory by demonstrating that leadership drives innovation primarily through capability-based mechanisms. Practically, higher education institutions should strengthen structures that promote knowledge sharing and application among faculty.
Originality: Empirical evidence is provided through the integration of PLS-SEM and NCA, offering a more comprehensive understanding by combining average effects and structural constraints. This dual approach highlights how leadership and knowledge processes jointly shape innovation, a critical priority in higher education.