A study of employees at SMEs in Jordan shows employee engagement fully mediates the relationship between HPWS and employee creativity

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  

Purpose The author said his study suggested a unique mechanism for the link between HPWS and organizational innovation and also filled a gap in existing research. Previous studies have tended to concentrate on outcomes at the organizational level rather than individual level. Design/methodology/approach The author sent the questionnaire to employees at R&D centers, where employees are expected to produce a lot of creative ideas. Each organization in the study had a maximum of three employees responsible for R&D. In total, 272 complete questionnaires were collected from 159 SMEs in Amman, in Jordan. Findings The study confirmed that employee engagement fully mediates the relationship between HPWS (high-performance work systems) and employee creativity. Results showed it accounted for 69.5% of the variance. The author of the report also revealed that perspective-taking also moderated the relationship between HPWS and employee engagement, and employee creativity predicted organizational innovation to moderate levels. Originality/value The positive results of the study have theoretical implications, the author argues. It proposed a causal mechanism of mediation, which was an original contribution. And it also focused on individuals, whereas other studies have tended to concentrate on outcomes at the organizational level. Management must also take into account the vital role HPWS play in shaping creativity and engagement. On the other hand, training can’t be offered for the sake of it, but in order to influence the employee’s view of the organization.

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 1082-1099 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaithen Abdullah Al Harbi ◽  
Saud Alarifi ◽  
Aissa Mosbah

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine empirically the effect of transformational leadership on followers’ inventiveness and organizational innovation. It studies transformational leadership and innovation at the organizational level and creativity at the individual level. Design/methodology/approach A theoretical model was created, which entailed the development of variables and hypotheses. A survey instrument was used to obtain data, through a self-completion questionnaire. The final sample was made up of 503 individuals, recruited using a random sampling technique. Findings The results showed that transformational leadership has a significant positive relationship with both followers’ creativity and organizational innovation. Furthermore, a significant positive relationship was found between followers’ creativity and organizational innovation. In addition, the relationship between transformational leadership and followers’ creativity, through the mediating role of employees’ psychological empowerment, support for innovation, workplace relationships and employee learning, was also found to be both positive and significant. However, the data showed that intrinsic motivation does not significantly affect the relationship between transformational leadership and creativity. Practical implications The study provides guidance to organizations that need to change their leadership style and approach, as well as their innovation and creativity mechanisms, at a strategic level. The resulting guidance provides organizations with insight into how they can improve the creativity of their employees through motivating, supporting and inspiring them. Originality/value This study is an attempt to illustrate the extent to which transformational leadership can affect organizational innovation in Saudi Arabia, specifically in the public sector, and to explore how employees’ creativity can be improved. This research is beneficial for academics, organizations and policy makers, especially in the Gulf countries.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 114-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imran Shafique ◽  
Bashir Ahmad ◽  
Masood Nawaz Kalyar

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to answer two questions. What is the impact of ethical leadership on followers’ creativity and organizational innovation? What are the mechanisms through which ethical leadership influences creativity and organizational innovation? Design/methodology/approach Considering a market-oriented criterion to measure organizational innovation, the data were collected from 322 small-sized information technology firms working in Pakistan. Multilevel modeling and hierarchical regression analyses were used to explore the direct and indirect effects of ethical leadership on creativity and innovation, respectively. Findings The results show that ethical leadership is an important predictor of both individual and organizational creativity. For the individual level, the results of multilevel modeling indicate that there is a positive link between ethical leadership and employee creativity. Furthermore, ethical leadership affects employee creativity through knowledge sharing and psychological empowerment. At the organizational level, the results reveal that ethical leadership is positively associated with organizational innovation directly. Practical implications The findings imply that ethical leadership is an important tool to promote creativity and for the advancement of innovation for developing countries as well as for newly developed industries. Originality/value This study is first to highlight the role of ethical leadership for organizational innovation. The main contribution of the study is to explore creativity as potential mediator for ethical leadership–organizational innovation nexus; where a market-oriented criterion is taken as proxy of organizational innovation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sven Hauff ◽  
Marco Guerci ◽  
Silvia Gilardi

PurposeWhile current human resource management (HRM) research on the relationship between HRM and employee well-being has focused on performance-oriented HRM (e.g. high-performance work practices), scholars have called to broaden the perspective and to explore HRM practices that are indeed well-being-oriented. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the empirical diffusion of well-being-oriented HRM configurations, the conditions in which these are used, and their associations with health, happiness and relational well-being.Design/methodology/approachAnalyses are based on a probabilistic subsample of 1,364 employees in Germany. Employee data are used, since individual employees' perceptions of HRM practices are crucial for understanding the effects of HRM on employee well-being. Configurations of well-being-oriented HRM practices are identified using latent class analysis.FindingsFindings show that (1) employees experience diverse configurations of well-being-oriented HRM practices, which differ in their investment levels and the specific practices used; (2) these configurations are contingent on organizational-level and individual-level characteristics and (3) these configurations have diverse associations with different well-being dimensions. Importantly, configurations characterized by higher investments are not always associated with higher well-being, and the highest well-being is associated with a configuration based on high investment in well-being-oriented HRM focused on support from supervisors.Originality/valueThis exploratory paper is the first to analyze configurations of well-being-oriented HRM practices. By focusing on well-being-oriented HRM it complements previous research which usually addresses how HRM systems designed to enhance performance affect employee well-being.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Iqbal Al-Ajlouni

PurposeReviewing Human Resource Management (HRM) and innovation literature, an identified gap exists in the mechanism in which the association between HRM and innovation is happen. To respond, the current study has suggested a moderated mediated mechanism to explain the link between HRM, through its new High Performance Work Systems (HPWS) and organisational innovation, as employee engagement mediates the relationship between HPWS and employee creativity. Then later one has subsequent influence on organisational innovation; moreover, the model also considers the moderating role of employee perspective-taking between HPWS and employee engagement.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative-deductive causal method, along with a cross-sectional approach was adopted, and SMEs in Jordan were the focus for the present study, through targeting employees in Research and Development centres. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire answered by 272 employees and Structural Equation Modelling using SMART-PLS was used for the statistical analysis.FindingsThe results confirmed that employee engagement fully mediated the relationship between HPWS and employee creativity and accounted for 69.5% of the variance; additionally, perspective-taking as a moderator of the relationship between HPWS and employee engagement was confirmed. Moreover, employee creativity significantly predicted organisational innovation to moderate levels.Originality/valueThe study suggested a unique mechanism for the link between HPWS and organisational innovation, contributing to the suggested gap that could have numerous variables acting as mediators or moderators which require further investigation to explore other possible mechanisms.


2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Unai Elorza ◽  
Christopher Harris ◽  
Aitor Aritzeta ◽  
Nekane Balluerka

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand how management and employee perspectives of high-performance work systems (HPWS) relate to employee discretionary behaviour. In addition, the paper examines to what extent the relationship between employees’ perception of the HPWS and discretionary behaviour varies among different organizations/groups. Design/methodology/approach – Two samples were used in the study. The first sample included data from 51 managers and 1,023 employees from 26 manufacturing companies. The second sample included 52 managers and 6,382 employees from 42 manufacturing companies. Findings – The study shows that employee rated HPWS mediates the relationship between management rated HPWS and individual-level discretionary behaviour. Moreover, results showed that the effect of employee rated HPWS on discretionary behaviour varies among different organizations/groups. Practical implications – Results show that employee perceptions of the HPWS more strongly predict employees’ discretionary behaviour than management rated HPWS. Moreover, it shows that employees’ perceptions of the same HPWS, but operating in different organizational contexts exhibit different levels of discretionary behaviour. Originality/value – The study differentiates between management and employee perspectives of the HPWS. It also examines the variability of the relationship between HPWS and discretionary behaviour. Multilevel structural equation modelling is used to test the hypotheses.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Misbah Hayat Bhatti ◽  
Umair Akram ◽  
Muhammad Hasnat Bhatti ◽  
Tabassum Riaz ◽  
Nausheen Syed

Purpose The effect of empowering leadership on knowledge sharing is well defined, but factors that stimulate employees for knowledge sharing are still limited. Therefore, this study aims to address to what extent empowering leadership is desirable to create a trustful and fair environment that is conducive for an employee’s knowledge sharing. Design/methodology/approach Through integration of social exchange, equity and uncertainty management theories develop a moderating mediating model that links empowering leadership to knowledge sharing. Three-wave data collection from the sample of 375 managers–subordinates’ dyads was done in Pakistan textile industries. Findings Hierarchal regression analysis and bootstrapping method were applied to test the hypotheses. The results indicate that affective trust partially mediates the relationship between empowering leadership and knowledge sharing. More especially, the findings demonstrate that the relationship between empowering leadership and knowledge sharing becomes strong with high level of distributive and procedural justices. Practical implications This research study uses empowering leadership as a proposed motivational pathway for stimulating employee’s knowledge sharing through development of affective trust and buffering effect of distributive and procedural justices. Originality/value Most of previous research in knowledge sharing just cynosure organizational-level elements like leadership and organizational justices but deteriorate individual factors like trust. Therefore, this study will combine both organizational- and individual-level factors for urging employees for knowledge sharing.


2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (7) ◽  
pp. 1318-1334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guiyao Tang ◽  
Bingjie Yu ◽  
Fang Lee Cooke ◽  
Yang Chen

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the underlying mechanism through which high-performance work system (HPWS) influences employee creativity. In addition, this paper aims to examine contingent factors in the relationship between perceived organisational support and employee creativity. Design/methodology/approach The sample of the study included 268 employees and matched supervisors from two pesticide chemical companies in China. Hypotheses were tested with linear regressions. Findings The study shows that HPWS enhances perceived organisational support, which in turn promotes employee creativity. Moreover, the results also indicate that devolved management positively moderates the relationship between perceived organisational support and employee creativity. Research limitations/implications The unique environment of China may limit the generalisability of the findings. Future studies can extend these findings by conducting studies in other societal contexts. Practical implications When trying to inspire employee creativity, organisations need to pay attention to employees’ perception of organisational support. One way of enhancing perceived organisational support is to implement HPWS. In addition, organisations need to encourage devolved management in order to inspire more creative behaviours. Originality/value This is the first study that explores the mediating role of perceived organisational support in the HPWS-employee creativity linkage. In addition, the study provides what is believed to be the first test of the moderating role of devolved management.


2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 332-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Plester ◽  
Ann Hutchison

Purpose – The idea of workplace fun seems positive, straightforward and simple but emerging research suggests a surprising complexity and ambiguity to this concept. Drawing on recent literature and empirical data, the purpose of this paper is to use three different forms of workplace fun: managed, organic and task fun to examine the relationship between fun and workplace engagement. Design/methodology/approach – Using an ethnographic approach, the qualitative data originated from four different New Zealand organizations, within different industries. Organizations included a law firm, a financial institution, an information technology company and a utility services provider. Data for this study were collected from semi-structured interviews with a range of participants in each company. In total 59 interviews were conducted with approximately 15 originating from each of the four organizations. One full-time month was spent within each company experiencing the everyday life and behaviours at all levels of each organization. The specific focus of the research is organizational culture and humour and during analysis findings emerged that linked to engagement, fun, disengagement and the concept of flow. Findings – This paper offers exploratory findings that suggest some specific connections between the concepts of fun and engagement. Empirical connections between these concepts are not currently apparent in either engagement or fun research, yet the data suggest some firm associations between them. The exploratory findings suggest that some forms of workplace fun offer individual employees a refreshing break which creates positive affect. Participants perceive that such affect results in greater workplace and task engagement. Additionally the data show that some people experience their work tasks as a form of fun and the authors link this to a specific form of engagement known as “flow” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975; Moneta, 2010). The authors suggest an organizational-level effect, where workplace fun creates enjoyment which stimulates greater overall engagement with the team, unit or organization itself. Conversely the data also suggest that for some people managed or organic fun (see Plester et al., 2015) creates distraction, disharmony or dissonance that disrupts their flow and can foster disengagement. Practical implications – The ambiguity and complexity in the relationship between these concepts is an emerging topic for research that offers a variety of implications for scholars and practitioners of HRM and organizational behaviour. The authors contend that workplace fun potentially offers practitioners opportunities for fostering a climate of high engagement which may include most employees and thus create additional workplace benefits. Additionally through highlighting employee reactions to different types of fun we suggest ways of avoiding employee disengagement, disharmony and cynicism and the associated negative effects. Originality/value – The concept of fun is not empirically linked with current engagement research and the authors assert that workplace fun is an important driver of employee engagement. The authors identity engagement at the individual task level and further extend engagement research by emphasizing that fun has the potential to create engagement at the team, unit or organizational level. These differing levels of engagement have not thus far been differentiated in the extant literature.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 191-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Poblete

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a model suggesting that innovation may act as a motivating force that increases entrepreneurs’ growth expectations, in which entrepreneurs’ growth expectations are shaped by their subjective values and entrepreneurial experience moderates this relationship. Design/methodology/approach This paper conducts statistical analysis on a sample of 11,579 entrepreneurs from 24 countries who participated in the IIIP survey of innovation in 2011 under the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor project. Findings The results suggest that entrepreneurs involved in innovative entrepreneurship are more likely to have higher growth expectations, with subjective values playing a direct and indirect role in entrepreneurs’ expectations of firm growth. Additionally, the results indicate that the duration of entrepreneurial experience moderates the relationship between strategic orientation and confidence in innovation. This finding suggests there is feedback between having beliefs about the benefits of innovation and being an innovative entrepreneur, resulting in an over-estimation – at least in comparative terms – regarding firm growth rates. This relationship is stronger for novice entrepreneurs since experienced entrepreneurs tend to be more cautious about their expectations of growing. Originality/value This study deepens our understanding of the complex processes through which organizational-level decisions ultimately influence individual-level factors. The present findings contribute to progress in this task by suggesting that strategies aimed at cultivating innovation feed entrepreneurs’ subjective values of innovation as well as expectations of growth. Although the duration of entrepreneurial experience moderates the relationship between acting as an innovative entrepreneur and subjective values of innovation, the results suggest that entrepreneurs’ expectations are primarily driven by their internal perceptions of reality.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akriti Chaubey ◽  
Chandan Kumar Sahoo ◽  
Naresh Khatri

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how creative self-efficacy and physical work environment mediate and moderate the relationship of transformational leadership with employee creativity and organizational innovation.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected from 254 managers working in two major automotive manufacturing units in India. The survey response rate was 81.9 percent. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe study findings suggest that transformational leadership augments employee creativity. The authors show that employee creative self-efficacy acts as a mediator and physical work environment as a moderator in the relationship between transformational leadership and employee creativity.Originality/valueThe study contributes by examining mediating and moderating influences in the relationship between transformational leadership and employee creativity. The data were collected from an important industry in a large, emerging economy that has received much less research attention relative to its size and significance.


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