Does job insecurity hinder innovative work behaviour? A threat rigidity perspective

Current work life is characterized by globalization, technological changes and the aftermath of the economic recession, thereby increasing the need for organizations to be innovative to maintain their competitive position. At the same time, this turbulent organizational landscape gave rise to perceptions of job insecurity (JI), that is, the subjectively perceived likelihood of involuntary job loss. The present study investigates whether job insecurity relates to innovative work behaviour (IWB) and introduces threat rigidity theory as an explanatory framework for this relationship. Based on this theory, we propose a serial mediation model, in which job insecurity relates to an increase in irritation, which subsequently relates to a decrease in concentration, resulting in a decrease in both dimensions of IWB, namely idea generation and idea implementation. By means of survey data from 394 Dutch‐speaking Belgian employees, we used structural equation modelling to compute our mediation analyses (bootstrapping method). Our findings are in line with threat rigidity theory, as the results demonstrate that the threat of job loss impairs employees' innovativeness through increased irritation and decreased concentration. This study contributes to job insecurity as well as IWB research, by introducing a process model that sheds light on job insecurity outcomes and antecedents of IWB.     

Workers and Their Willingness to Learn: Will ICT‐Implementation Strategies and HRM Practices Contribute to Innovation?

The article deals with the relationship between the willingness of workers to acquire ICT‐competences), the ICT‐implementation strategy (to ‘automate’ or ‘to informate’) pursuit by organizations and the HRM practices used by them. Based on a simple conceptual model, we tested three hypotheses: the more extended the use HRM practices in organizations, the more often workers will work in a work setting based on an informated ICT implementation strategy; an informated ICT implementation strategy will lead to a higher willingness of employees to acquire ICT‐related competences; the effect of an informated ICT‐strategy on the willingness to acquire ICT‐related competences will be higher than that of the HRM‐practices. To test these hypotheses, we used a survey of 733 Dutch employees working with ICT devices. Our analysis gives some partial support to the first two hypotheses, but the third is rejected by the data: ICT‐implementation strategies and some HRM‐practices have an independent effect on the willingness to acquire ICT‐compentences.     

On‐the‐job Innovation: The Impact of Job Design and Human Resource Management through Production Ownership

A growing number of practitioners and academics endorse that the ability of organizations to foster, develop and use the innovative potential of their employees contributes to organizational success. Yet empirical investigation of individual innovation processes is lacking. In this research we address the question of whether both more flexibility in an employees’ job design and commitment‐oriented HRM activities promote individual innovative work behaviour. Findings suggest that a multifunctional job design and the perceived HRM system promote employee involvement in innovative activities through increased feelings of ownership for work‐related issues and problems.     

Employee creativity in war zones: Empirical evidence from small firms in Afghanistan

The major concern of employees during times of war and conflict is apparently physical survival. But how are top managers of small‐sized companies enhancing the generation of novel and useful ideas by their employees in such physically dangerous business environments? In Afghanistan, as a war‐torn country, this research examined for the first time how getting closer to employees—which is conceptualized as internal marketing orientation culture in our study—directly affects the generation of novel and useful ideas by employees in the workplace. Our analysis is based on survey data from 81 newly established small‐sized companies in Afghanistan. Results indicate a mediating role of employees' perceived psychological safety on the relationship between internal market orientation culture and employees' creative work involvement. Moreover, we discuss the impact of employees' creative work involvement on small‐sized firm competitiveness improvement in general. Finally, we extend our implications in the context of the componential theory model of creativity, which might also serve as a framework for future research.     

Collectivism and employees' innovative behavior: The mediating role of team identification and the moderating role of leader‐member exchange

Based on the social identity theory and leader‐member exchange (LMX) literature, the present study examined the underlying relationship between employees' collectivism and their innovative behavior. Specifically, we explored the mediating role of team identification and the moderating role of LMX in the above relationship. Results from a survey of 457 employees in 30 organizations indicate that employees' team identification partially mediates the relationship between their collectivism and innovative behavior, and that this mediating relationship has conditional effects on the moderator variable LMX. The findings contribute to the literature by clarifying how (through team identification) and when (based on LMX) employees' collectivism is related positively to their innovative behavior.     

Burnout and innovative work behaviours for survivors of downsizing: An investigation of boundary conditions

The purpose of this study is to explore conditions in which innovative behaviour can have either desirable or undesirable effects. The current study surveyed employees who remained in an organization following downsizing. Voice costs and perceived influence were measured as boundary conditions. Based on our understanding of Conservation of Resources theory, these variables may be particularly important to consider how individuals view innovative work behaviours in stressful situations such as experiencing downsizing. The results of this study revealed that engagement in innovative work behaviours (IWB) was associated with reduced burnout in employees when they perceived few costs of speaking up in the post downsized environment, but at very high perceptions of voice cost (above 1.74 standard deviations above the mean), this relationship was positive. Similarly, and contrary to what was expected, engagement in IWB was negatively related to burnout when employees perceived they had little influence within the organization. We discuss possible interpretations of this unexpected result. This study adds to the small body of work that examines outcomes, rather than predictors, of innovative behaviour and also identifies conditions in which engaging in innovative behaviours has a negative impact on the individual.     

Not All Autonomy is the Same. Different Dimensions of Job Autonomy and Their Relation to Work Engagement & Innovative Work Behavior

Job autonomy is a key enabling factor for employee engagement and innovative employee behavior. Although job autonomy used to be viewed as a multi‐dimensional construct, there has been little recent discussion on the different dimensions of job autonomy and how they relate to employee outcomes. This study uses a sample of 927 employees from different sectors to research the relation between autonomy regarding the (1) work method, (2) work scheduling, (3) work time and (4) place of work and two main employee outcomes: work engagement (WE) and innovative work behavior (IWB). The results show that all studied dimensions of autonomy are bivariatly related to higher levels of WE and IWB. Yet, when simultaneously analyzing the dimensions of job autonomy using structural equations modelling, most of the effects become insignificant. For WE, only the effect of work method autonomy is statistically significant. For IWB, work method and locational autonomy play a positive role. This signals that the current managerial attention for, e.g., work time autonomy (flexitime) does only contribute to enhanced work engagement and IWB insofar as such a systems result in higher work method autonomy.     

Resilient employees are creative employees,when the workplace forces them to be

With a basis in conservation of resources theory, this article considers the connection between employees' resilience and disruptive creative behaviour—conceptualized herein as the extent to which they generate radically new ideas for organizational improvement—as well as how this connection might be invigorated by resource‐draining work conditions that stem from excessive workloads and unfavourable decision‐making processes. Data collected through a survey administered to employees in an organization that operates in the distribution sector reveal that employees' resilience levels spur their disruptive creative behaviour, and this process is more prominent among employees who believe they have insufficient time to complete their work tasks (i.e., suffer from high work overload) and operate in organizational climates marked by high rigidity or dysfunctional politics. The findings accordingly inform organizational practitioners that the allocation of employees' personal resource bases to disruptive creative behaviours might be particularly useful among employees who face substantial adversity in their organizational functioning.     

Measuring Innovative Work Behaviour

Both scientists and practitioners emphasize the importance of innovative work behaviour (IWB) of individual employees for organizational success, but the measurement of IWB is still at an evolutionary stage. This article is concerned with developed a measure of IWB with four potential dimensions: the exploration, generation, championing and implementation of ideas. From a pilot survey among 81 research professionals and their supervisors, we derived an initial version of ten items. Next, analysis of validity drew on survey data from 703 matched dyads of knowledge workers and their supervisors in 94 knowledge intensive services firms. It included confirmatory factor analyses and hierarchical multilevel regressions to test hypothesized relationships of IWB with related constructs, including participative leadership, external work contacts and innovative output. These analyses demonstrated sufficient reliability and criterion validity. Evidence for the distinctiveness of the four dimensions was, however, weak, suggesting that IWB is one‐dimensional. We conclude that further research on this issue is merited.     

Direct Employee Involvement Quality (DEIQ)

This paper focuses on one aspect of human resource management (HRM) that is important for innovative employee behaviour: direct employee involvement quality (DEIQ). However, research has also shown that employee involvement is often in serious need of improvement. This paper presents evidence from three manufacturing companies in the Netherlands. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with low‐ and medium‐educated blue‐collar workers, top managers (HRM, production and R&D) and direct supervisors. Using a qualitative approach, we were able to acquire insight into the ‘black‐box’ of well‐known pre‐conditions and contribute by identifying additional dimensions. The research supports various pre‐conditions critical for successful DEIQ including the critical role of the HR function and adequate preparation of direct supervisors. Furthermore, an under‐explored issue is highlighted: the employment relationship.     

Knowledge Sharing and Innovative Work Behaviour in Healthcare: A Micro‐Level Investigation of Direct and Indirect Effects

This study presents a micro‐level investigation that provides new insights into how employees' knowledge sharing affects their own innovative work behaviours (IWBs). Our study posited three mechanisms linking an individual's knowledge sharing behaviours to his or her own IWBs: (i) a direct effect whereby the act of sharing elicits a recombination and translation of knowledge that facilitates innovation; (ii) an indirect effect whereby knowledge sharing creates social conditions (i.e., reciprocation with new knowledge) for innovation; (iii) a distal effect whereby the antecedents of knowledge sharing also promote innovation. We tested these hypotheses on 155 employees in four palliative care organizations. Our results provide original evidence that employees who share knowledge also engage more in creating, promoting and implementing innovations. This study reveals a direct, unmediated link between knowledge sharing behaviours and IWBs. Our evidence suggests that it is the act of knowledge recombination and translation embedded in knowledge sharing that exerts the most positive effect on IWBs. We discuss how this result indicates that sharing knowledge ignites transformation and exploitation capabilities that help sharers innovate their own work practices.     

Determinants of Innovative Work Behaviour: Development and Test of an Integrated Model

In this study, we developed and tested a causal model to predict innovative work behaviour (IWB) integrating the literatures on psychological contract, job design and organizational justice. Two hundred and four employees from Irish manufacturing organizations participated in the study, and we collected data using a survey questionnaire. The psychological contract variable of perceived obligation to innovate, job autonomy and pay showed direct effects on IWB. In addition, pay and job autonomy also had indirect effects on IWB through the mediating variable of psychological contract – perceived obligation to innovate. The organizational process of meritocracy, equity perceptions and procedural justice perceptions influenced IWB through the mediating variables of psychological contract, although none of these variables influenced IWB directly. Overall, the results indicated good support for the integrative model and provided support for the crucial role played by psychological contract in influencing IWB. Implications are discussed.     

The effect of work ethic on employees' individual innovation behavior

The present study examines the previously untested effect of work ethic on individual innovation behavior. These entrenched personal values that may remain unaffected by organizational constitution are suggested to shape a person's inclination to engage in innovative action. Deploying partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modeling (SEM), we show that being self‐reliant and time‐efficient positively influences employees' innovation behavior, while an attitude toward hard work and leisure has a negative impact. Moreover, self‐reliance, leisure orientation, and centrality of work are positively moderated by fair salary, a specific form of relational reward that previously has been identified as an antecedent of motivation. The work at hand thus contributes to extant research by enhancing knowledge about the antecedents of innovative behavior, showing that inherent work‐related values matter. As such, the study demonstrates the importance of considering the linkage of personal differences and motivational factors when examining the complex processes of individual innovation behavior.     

Expatriate cultural values alignment: The mediating effect of cross‐cultural adjustment level on innovative behaviour

Multinational companies assign expatriates to bridge the scarcity of employees with innovative behaviour from the local labour market. Despite expatriates' significant role in inducing innovative ideas for multinational companies, the existing literature has scarcely examined those antecedent factors that affect their innovative behaviour. Even though previous studies indicated the determinant impact of host countries' culture on the expatriates' work‐related behaviour, little is known about how far it affects their innovative behaviour. Therefore, drawing on the person‐environment fit theory, this study examines the impact of personal value orientation and the host country's culture alignment on expatriates' innovative behaviour. The study covers 149 expatriates, from nine countries, who work in the high‐tech industrial zone of Shenzhen, South China's industrial hub. Moreover, it applies a structural equation model using Amos^TM 23 to conduct the analysis. The results reveal that personal value orientation fit with the host country's national culture has a significant impact on expatriates' innovative behaviour. Cross‐cultural adjustment level is found to mediate this relationship. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, and suggestions for future research are drawn from the study's limitations.     

On the Relation of Job Insecurity,Job Autonomy,Innovative Work Behaviour and the Mediating Effect of Work Engagement

European policy is focusing on innovation as a way out of the economic crisis. At the same time, job insecurity is rising as Europe is still in crisis. In this paper, we examine whether job insecurity affects the innovative work behaviour of employees by focusing on the relation between job insecurity, job autonomy, work engagement and innovative work behaviour (IWB). Using employee level survey data, we use structural equation modelling to disentangle the relations between these variables. The partially mediated model shows the best fit with the data. This model shows that job insecurity and autonomy are both directly and indirectly, through work engagement, related with IWB. For autonomy these relations are positive, while they are negative (and smaller) for job insecurity. Moreover, a negative covariance is observed between job insecurity and autonomy.     

Dialogue‐Based Evaluation as a Creative Climate Indicator: Evidence from the Pharmaceutical Industry

This paper examines how different forms of performance evaluation relate to aspects of the creative climate in a major pharmaceutical company. The study was based on a large employee‐attitude survey that was distributed to all company employees. The study analyses survey results from 5,333 employees at five R&D sites. The results indicate that management's evaluation of employees (either dialogue‐based or control‐based) relates to the type of motivation (intrinsic or extrinsic) that drives employees, to their style of thinking (value‐focused thinking) and on their attitudes to organizational creativity. The paper then discusses implications of these findings for HRM.     

Reducing the harmful effect of work overload on creative behaviour: Buffering roles of energy‐enhancing resources

This study investigates how employees' perceptions of work overload might reduce their creative behaviours and how this negative relationship might be buffered by employees' access to three energy‐enhancing resources: their passion for work, their ability to share emotions with colleagues, and their affective commitment to the organization. Data from a manufacturing organization reveal that work overload reduces creative behaviour, but the effect is weaker with higher levels of passion for work, emotion sharing, and organizational commitment. The buffering effects of emotion sharing and organizational commitment are particularly strong when they combine with high levels of passion for work. These findings indicate how organizations marked by adverse work conditions, due to excessive workloads, can mitigate the likelihood that employees avoid creative behaviours.     

How and why do student teachers use ICT?

This paper examines how and why student teachers made use of information and communication technology (ICT) during a 1‐year initial teacher education programme from 2008 to 2009. This is a mixed methods study involving a survey (N = 340) of the entire cohort and a series of semi‐structured interviews with a sample of student teachers within the cohort (N = 21). The study explored several themes, including the nature of student teachers' use of ICT; variation in the use of ICT; support for, and constraints on, using ICT; attitudes to ICT and to teaching and learning more generally. It was found that nearly all teachers were receptive to using ICT – more so than their in‐service counterparts – and made frequent use of it during their placement (internship) experience. The Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) was central to nearly all student teachers' use of ICT, in good part, because it was already used by their mentors and was widely accessible. Student teachers' use of ICT was categorized in three levels. Routine users focused mostly on the use of the IWB for whole class teaching; extended users gave greater opportunities for pupils to use ICT for themselves; innovative student teachers used ICT in a greater range of contexts and made more effort to overcome barriers such as access. ICT use was seen as emerging from a mix of factors: chiefly student teachers' access to ICT; their feeling of ‘self‐efficacy’ when using ICT; and their belief that ICT had a positive impact on learning – in particular, the impact on pupils' behavioural and affective engagement. Factors which influenced ICT use included mentoring, training and support. Limitations on student teachers' use of ICT are explored and it is suggested that new teachers need to be supported in developing a more discerning use as they begin their teaching careers.     

Identity in Flexible Organizations: Experiences in Dutch Organizations

In the information economy, flexible organizations have evolved. Work and labour relations have become more flexible than in industrial organizations. This has consequences for the identity of organizations. Organizations tend to become opportunity coalitions when the identity is too fragmented or neglected. The key questions this article adresses is what is identity in a flexible organization and to what extent is it possible to ‘manage’ the construction of identity in flexible organizations? This key question was split up into three sub‐questions. We were interested in how (1) organizations organize their talent management, (2) how organizations manage their labour relations and (3) how organizations manage identity. These three subjects come forward in recent publications in the field of organizational development and HRM as being critical of management of a flexible and innovative organization. In the article, the characteristics of flexible organizations are defined. These characteristics are translated into the relationship between these organization and individual: the way flexible organizations manage their work, labour relations and identity is studied in 20 Dutch organizations. Striving for an optimum in flexible work and flexible labour relations, combined with managing a specific organizational identity seems to be the HR‐strategy Dutch organizations implement to reach flexibility and innovation.     

Moving beyond the direct impact of using CRM systems on frontline employees' service performance: The mediating role of adaptive behaviour

Despite substantial investments in customer‐relationship‐management (CRM) systems, companies continue to experience pain rather than profit. Meanwhile, the concept of “adaptive behaviour” of frontline employees has received little attention in the literature related to CRM systems in which the frontline employees are the primary users. In this study, we propose that with the aid of CRM systems, individual employees are able to immediately access information about customers and service offerings, thus enabling their adaptive behaviours to provide personalized service to individual customers. Based on coping theory, we develop a CRM system‐driven adaptive behaviour model that explains how CRM systems facilitate individual employees' service performance by enabling adaptive behaviour during their service encounters. Multisourced data from a financial company in China largely support our proposed model, showing that employees' postadoption of CRM systems (routinization and infusion of use) enables interpersonal and offering adaptive behaviours, which in turn enhance employees' service performance. In addition, forming a postadoption behaviour of CRM systems relies on the frequent use. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of adaptive behaviour in service encounters with the aid of CRM systems.