The overall research objective is motivated by two simultaneous developments. On the one hand, due to globalization and fast changing markets, organizations face increasing pressure to stay competitive and to survive in these fast changing environments. To innovate, organizations rely on recruiting and developing their workforce. As the individual is the source of innovation, an ever increasing emphasis is placed upon individual innovativeness and in particular in the investigation of sources of individual innovativeness. Leaders are essential in the promotion of employees´ innovativeness and leadership is proposed as one of the most influential predictors of individual innovativeness. In the view of innovation pressure and demographic changes, it is important for organizations to shed light on their young professionals, especially on their young professionals’ innovativeness, as they are the future workforce. This is especially important for leaders who aim to support the innovativeness of their young professionals. Nevertheless, the importance of young professionals’ innovativeness in the retail industry is still underestimated. Hence, organizations and especially leaders may benefit greatly from being aware of their young professionals’ innovativeness as one possibility to face the challenges of innovation pressure.

The overall research objective is motivated by two simultaneous developments. On the one hand, due to globalization and fast changing markets, organizations face increasing pressure to stay competitive and to survive in these fast changing environments. To innovate, organizations rely on recruiting and developing their workforce. As the individual is the source of innovation, an ever increasing emphasis is placed upon individual innovativeness and in particular in the investigation of sources of individual innovativeness. Leaders are essential in the promotion of employees´ innovativeness and leadership is proposed as one of the most influential predictors of individual innovativeness. In the view of innovation pressure and demographic changes, it is important for organizations to shed light on their young professionals, especially on their young professionals’ innovativeness, as they are the future workforce. This is especially important for leaders who aim to support the innovativeness of their young professionals. Nevertheless, the importance of young professionals’ innovativeness in the retail industry is still underestimated. Hence, organizations and especially leaders may benefit greatly from being aware of their young professionals’ innovativeness as one possibility to face the challenges of innovation pressure.:I Part I: Introduction 1 Motivation and relevance 2 Overall resource-based perspective 3 Research gaps and questions 4 Overall structure of the dissertation II Part II: Foundations 1 Structure of part II 2 Individual innovativeness 3 Leadership supporting individual innovativeness 4 Summary of part II III Part III: Empirical studies 1 & 2 1 Structure of part III 2 Overall research context 3 Overall research design 4 Study 1: Individual innovativeness of yps 5 Study 2: Leadership supporting yps’ innovativeness IV Part IV: Discussion 1 Structure of part IV 2 Discussion of study 1: Individual innovativeness of yps 3 Discussion of study 2: Leadership supporting yps’ 4 Summary of overall empirical findings V Part V: Conclusion 1 Summary of parts 2 Implications for management 3 Limitations and avenues for further research 4 Conclusion References Annexes Annex A: Related to Part II: Individual innovativeness Annex B: Related to Part II: Leadership supporting individual innovativeness Annex C: Related to Part III: Empirical study 1&2