CEO learning goal orientation and firm innovation: The mechanism and boundary conditions

This study explores how and when chief executive officer (CEO) learning goal orientation affects firm innovation. A sample of 164 small and medium-sized firms in China, with 164 CEOs and 488 top management team (TMT) members, reveals that CEO learning goal orientation exerts positive influences on firm innovation. TMT learning goal orientation mediates this link. Environmental uncertainty and TMT centralization moderate both the direct effect of CEO learning goal orientation on TMT learning goal orientation and the indirect, mediated effect of CEO learning goal orientation on firm innovation through TMT learning goal orientation. Therefore, the effects are amplified at high environmental uncertainty or low TMT centralization.