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Abstract

Purpose: This study investigates how empowering leadership and innovative organizational culture influence employees innovative work behavior in pharmaceutical companies in Karachi and examines the mediating role of perceived organizational support. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative approach was applied using purposive sampling. Data were collected from 200 employees through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using SMART PLS 4. Findings: Both empowering leadership and innovative organizational culture significantly enhanced innovative work behavior, while perceived organizational support also had a direct positive effect. However, mediation analysis showed that perceived organizational support did not significantly mediate the relationship between leadership, culture and innovative work behavior. Practical implications: Managers should foster empowering leadership styles and create a culture that values creativity, risk-taking, and collaboration to strengthen innovation. While organizational support remains important, leadership and culture exert a more direct influence on innovation outcomes. Originality/value: This study extends innovation literature by jointly examining leadership and culture alongside perceived organizational support in a developing economy context. It offers practical insights for enhancing innovation capacity in knowledge-intensive and regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals.