Abstract: Based on the values theory and social cognitive theory, the complex influencing mechanism of authentic leadership on employee innovative behavior was investigated. With 374 employee questionnaires, hypothesis testing was conducted through hierarchical regression analysis and Bootstrap method. Authentic leadership was positively related to employee innovative behavior. Uncertainty avoidance and creative self-efficacy mediated the relationship between the authentic leadership and the innovative behavior, and also play a chain mediation. That is, the authentic leadership affects the creative self-efficacy of employees by reducing the degree of uncertainty avoidance, and then stimulates the innovative behavior. The study reveals the more complex mechanisms between the authentic leadership and the innovative behavior of employees, and provides theoretical basis for how to motivate the employee innovative behavior effectively.

Key words: authentic leadership, employee innovative behavior, uncertainty avoidance, creative self-efficacy