Taiwanese study shows job crafting is positively related to innovative work behaviour and relationship is mediated by team psychological Capital
Purpose This study aimed to test the cross-level effects of team job crafting on individual innovative work behaviour (IWB) and the mediating role of team psychological capital (PsyCap). Design/methodology/approach Data were collected in two waves from 163 employees of 45 teams in 12 Taiwanese companies. The employees came from financial, IT and administration services. There were 73 women and 90 men. One questionnaire concerned team job crafting and the second questionnaire concerned PsyCap and IWB. Findings Results showed that team-level job crafting had a significant positive effect on IWB. Results also showed that team job crafting had a significant positive influence on the mediator, team PsyCap. Meanwhile, Team PsyCap had a positive impact on IWB. Finally, while testing the mediator, the main effect between team job crafting and IWB was found to be not significant. An indirect effect was found between team-level job crafting and IWB through team PsyCap. The results indicated that team PsyCap mediated the relationship between team job crafting and IWB. Originality/value The study highlighted a few recommendations for organizations to encourage positive behaviours in the workplace from a team perspective. Job crafting at the team level would encourage team members to display a high level of initiative. When job crafting received support from team members, employees were more likely to gain high self-efficacy, hope, resilience and optimism. The findings suggested that increasing job resources and challenging job demands might be an effective strategy for increasing innovation or creativity.