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.     

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.     

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.     

Exploring HRM Meta‐Features that Foster Employees' Innovative Work Behaviour in Times of Increasing Work–Life Conflict

Today, employees' innovative work behaviour (IWB) is critical for companies' success. However, employees increasingly experience work–life conflict (WLC) which negatively influences performance at work. Human resource management (HRM) has the potential to foster employees' engagement in innovative activities and to reduce tensions between work and private life simultaneously. Our paper aims to advance understanding under which conditions these relations occur by exploring HRM meta‐features. These are defined as overall characteristics of an HR system helping companies to communicate the content of HR practices in a way that leads to desired interpretations by employees. Using a qualitative, interview study approach, we find that HRM contributes to IWB and diminishes feelings of WLC mainly through the four meta‐features ‘individual orientation’, ‘discretion orientation’, ‘effort orientation’ and ‘expectancy orientation’. We link our findings to extant literature and provide suggestions for managers how these meta‐features can be put into organizational practice.     

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.     

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.     

Impact of Lean Production on Perceived Job Autonomy and Job Satisfaction: An Experimental Study

Previous studies have indicated positive and negative effects of lean production on employees’ perceived work characteristics and job attitudes. The most detrimental consequence of lean production is a decrease in the perceived job autonomy of workshop employees. To reduce these negative consequences, we propose human resource practices for integration with lean production. Drawing on the job characteristics model, we hypothesized that the implementation of lean production combined with human resource practices would enhance perceived job autonomy, job satisfaction, and operational performance. To evaluate our hypotheses, we used an experimental design consisting of a simulation game that mimics a manufacturing company. We implemented lean production combined with human resource practices in this simulated company. The results indicated a significant increase in perceived job autonomy, job satisfaction, and operational performance. Moreover, the results revealed a positive relationship between job satisfaction and operational performance.     

Job burnout of the information technology worker: Work exhaustion,depersonalization, and personal accomplishment

The unique environment of the information technology (IT) worker is prone to create work exhaustion, a conceptual component of job burnout. Prior research on the IT worker focuses primarily on the antecedent conditions to work exhaustion, uniquely identifying the IT work environment including emotional dissonance, perceived workload, role ambiguity and conflict, autonomy, and fairness of rewards. However, though work exhaustion is a critical product of conditions in the IT work environment, two ignored dimensions of job burnout theory, depersonalization and lessened feelings of personal accomplishment, create a more complete picture and extend current models of IT worker burnout. The extended model with established antecedents is empirically tested through survey techniques and found to hold. Management needs to be aware of these additional symptoms of burnout to circumvent undesirable consequences.     

Impact of using social network services on workplace ostracism,job satisfaction,and innovative behaviour

Research has found workplace ostracism to negatively impact workplace attitudes and behaviours such as job satisfaction, organisational citizenship behaviour, and job performance. However, research investigating beyond the direct effects of workplace ostracism and findings about boundary conditions for mitigating the negative effects of workplace ostracism are limited in organisational studies. In this regard, this study explored the mediating effects of job satisfaction on the relationship between workplace ostracism and innovative behaviour and the moderating effects of social networking services for work-related purposes for the relationship between workplace ostracism and job satisfaction. The two-wave study consisted of 237 full-time employees in large organisations in South Korea. The hierarchical regression analyses resulted in job satisfaction to mediate the relationship between workplace ostracism and innovative behaviour and social network service to significantly moderate the relationship between workplace ostracism and job satisfaction. Moreover, mediated moderation was found for the study model, which further suggests that using social network services for work-related purposes had indirect effects on innovative behaviour.     

Positive and negative aspects of the work of information technology personnel: an exploratory analysis

This paper re-analyses data gathered in a 1989 research among Dutch information technology personnel. Working from Karasek's job stress model, we use exploratory multiple correspondence analyses on the aggregated data matrix of occupations and work items. We employed two models: one that emphasised the negative evaluations of job aspects, and one that emphasised positive evaluations. The structuring of positive evaluations of job aspects proved most meaningful. Occupations could be distinguished into three groups. The first and largest group is characterised by a fairly balanced degree of autonomy and workload. A second group comprised of middle management occupations is characterised by unfavourable judgement on workload, matched by insufficient autonomy; as such, employees in these occupations appear at risk of overburdening. A third group of computer specialists report a workload that is too slight given their degree of autonomy; this group appears to be at risk of underburdening.     

Positive and negative aspects of the work of information technology personnel: An exploratory analysis

This paper re-analyses data gathered in a 1989 research among Dutch information technology personnel. Working from Karasek's job stress model, we use exploratory multiple correspondence analyses on the aggregated data matrix of occupations and work items. We employed two models: one that emphasised the negative evaluations of job aspects, and one that emphasised positive evaluations. The structuring of positive evaluations of job aspects proved most meaningful. Occupations could be distinguished into three groups. The first and largest group is characterised by a fairly balanced degree of autonomy and workload. A second group comprised of middle management occupations is characterised by unfavourable judgement on workload, matched by insufficient autonomy; as such, employees in these occupations appear at risk of overburdening. A third group of computer specialists report a workload that is too slight given their degree of autonomy; this group appears to be at risk of underburdening.     

A Longitudinal Study of Work Characteristics and Health Complaints Among Insurance Employees in VDT Work

Employees using visual display terminals (VDI) in their work in the head office and branch offices of a Finnish insurance company were followed for 8 years. Their job satisfaction and health complaints were studied in relation to VDT-use characteristics and job demands and stressors. A total of 144 employees participated 3 times in a questionnaire survey: in 1985 before a major change was implemented m the data system used just after its implementation in 1987, and later after the gradual increase of VDT application and enlargement of the data system in 1993. Most of the employees were women (65%) in customer service work. The original group of 477 decreased to these 144 employees during the follow-up due to employees leaving the company, moving to other departments, retiring, and nonresponding. The dropouts did not differ considerably from the retainees in the central variables of the study. The follow-up results showed an increase in the daily amount of VDT work and a better mastering of VDT applications. Only minor changes in job demands were found. A slight increase occurred between 1985 and 1987 in attention and psychomotor demands. The greatest increase was found in job insecurity between 1987 and 1993. The level of job dissatisfaction, psychological symptoms, and eye discomfort decreased somewhat, and neck and upper limb complaints increased between the two later study phases. The factors explaining job dissatisfaction and subjective symptoms were partly different in the 3 study phases. In the last study phase, job dissatisfaction was dependent on job insecurity, being earlier explained mainly by psychological and social job demands. Neck and upper limb complaints were in the beginning clearly related to high physical workload and later more directly dependent on VDT use characteristics.     

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.     

The impact of team task and job engagement on the transfer of tacit knowledge in e-business virtual teams

This research focuses on the initiative to integrate team task and job engagement as related to the transfer of tacit knowledge. The aim of this study is to investigate if team task and job involvement enhances the overall work efficiency through transfer of tacit knowledge between e-business virtual teams. We develop a model that is based on the relationship between tacit degree of knowledge, job engagement, team tasks, and their effect on knowledge transfer. The conceptual model is validated with the data collected from a survey. The results indicate that the tacit knowledge does not have a positive effect on team tasks and job engagement, and the team tasks and job engagement have a significant positive effect on knowledge transfer. In addition, the study found that team tasks and job engagement have mediating effects in the process of tacit knowledge transfer. Also, we discuss the theoretical and practical implications and contributions of this study.     

The synergic role of sociotechnical and personal characteristics on work injuries in mines

Occupational injuries in mines are attributed to many factors. In this study, an attempt was made to identify the various factors related to work injuries in mines and to estimate their effects on work injuries to mine workers. An accident path model was developed to estimate the pattern and strength of relationships amongst the personal and sociotechnical variables in accident/injury occurrences. The input data for the model were the correlation matrix of 18 variables, which were collected from the case study mines. The case study results showed that there are sequential interactions amongst the sociotechnical and personal factors leading to accidents/injuries in mines. Amongst the latent endogenous constructs, job dissatisfaction and safe work behaviour show a significant positive and negative direct relationship with work injury, respectively. However, the construct safety environment has a significant negative indirect relationship with work injury. The safety environment is negatively affected by work hazards and positively affected by social support. The safety environment also shows a significant negative relationship with job stress and job dissatisfaction. However, negative personality has no significant direct or indirect effect on work injury, but it has a significant negative relationship with safe work behaviour. The endogenous construct negative personality is positively influenced by job stress and negatively influenced by social support.     

The synergic role of sociotechnical and personal characteristics on work injuries in mines

Occupational injuries in mines are attributed to many factors. In this study, an attempt was made to identify the various factors related to work injuries in mines and to estimate their effects on work injuries to mine workers. An accident path model was developed to estimate the pattern and strength of relationships amongst the personal and sociotechnical variables in accident/injury occurrences. The input data for the model were the correlation matrix of 18 variables, which were collected from the case study mines. The case study results showed that there are sequential interactions amongst the sociotechnical and personal factors leading to accidents/injuries in mines. Amongst the latent endogenous constructs, job dissatisfaction and safe work behaviour show a significant positive and negative direct relationship with work injury, respectively. However, the construct safety environment has a significant negative indirect relationship with work injury. The safety environment is negatively affected by work hazards and positively affected by social support. The safety environment also shows a significant negative relationship with job stress and job dissatisfaction. However, negative personality has no significant direct or indirect effect on work injury, but it has a significant negative relationship with safe work behaviour. The endogenous construct negative personality is positively influenced by job stress and negatively influenced by social support.     

Coping with job stress in industries: A cognitive approach

This study examined the roles of the coping strategies used by individuals to cope with job stress. The coping strategy was formed throughout the cognitive appraisal of the stressful events. It was found that direct action coping strategy shows negative relations with job stressors, whereas there are positive relations between stressors and other coping strategies. This implies that direct action coping strategy is used to alleviate the job stress by affirmatively changing the deleterious effects of job stressors in the work environment, while other coping strategies led to the positive impact on job stress or negative impact on job performance. To secure the usability and applicability of the model in practice, more considerations in the future should be made on the mediating variables such as personality type and social support, which are possible variables impacting the selection of coping strategy. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The dynamics of innovation efforts in the early career

Although innovation is highly valued in organizations, early-career professionals face a paradox of bringing in novel ideas, yet having varied latitude and support to see these new ideas through. Building on 35 critical-incident-based interviews with early-career engineers in the United States, this study illuminates the socially situated dynamics of their innovation efforts, examining the process of such promotive proactive behaviour. We find that all participants reported some engagement in creating, championing and implementing new ideas, typically in the form of self-initiated improvements to the tools and processes participants used in their jobs. Encouragement from direct supervisors, supportive organizational cultures and practices, job scope, time afforded and one's perceived status were key considerations in determining whether to take such initiative. Carrying out innovative work behaviours, in turn, was largely dependent on continued employee initiative and ad hoc, informal cooperation, with individual effort punctuated by influential interactions with others that often determined the perceived valence of efforts. The study adds to understanding the social interactions and perceptions of voice required for innovative work behaviour, revealing when and to whom these prerequisites are afforded. Implications for organizations' innovation capacity and new hires' participation in innovation are discussed.     

The less you know,the better you’ll sleep – Perceived job insecurity in the Internet age

By applying theories from different fields of study in the labor market context, we investigated the effect of Internet use and digital uses on perceived job insecurity during the years 2003–2012. Our study is based on data from nationwide Annual Social Surveys of the CBS in Israel, drawing on a representative sample of 45,988 employed respondents. Our findings show that Internet use negatively correlated with job insecurity, but the effect of Internet use on the dependent variable decreased over this period. Internet use was found to be more effective for decreasing job insecurity among weaker social groups: Arabs and people from low socio-economic strata. In other words, Internet use promotes weaker social groups and can serve as a channel for decreasing job insecurity. However, our findings also show that seeking information and social media use were positively correlated with perceived job insecurity, attributable to the negative-positive asymmetry forming the individual’s sense of economic pessimism.     

Job satisfaction among information system (IS) personnel

This study examines relationships between achievement motivation and job characteristics on job satisfaction among IS personnel. The analytical results reveal that the dimensions of the achievement motivation of IS personnel are perseverance, competition and difficulty control. Regarding job characteristics, the job characteristics of IS personnel are task identity, professionalism, feedback, autonomy and significance. Moreover, the dimensions of the job satisfaction of IS personnel are social, job-related and self-actualization satisfaction. Job characteristics affect the job satisfaction of IS personnel and job characteristics and job satisfaction are positively related. Regardless of whether IS worker achievement motivation is high or low, IS workers engaged in jobs with high job characteristics have higher job satisfaction. Jobs with the features of feedback, professionalism and autonomy can most easily increase the job satisfaction of IS personnel.