Exploring the effects of small- and medium-sized enterprise employees' job satisfaction on their innovative work behaviours: the moderating effects of personality

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Mustafa ◽  
Alan Coetzer ◽  
Hazel Melanie Ramos ◽  
Jorg Fuhrer

PurposeThe purpose is to contribute to the debate on how job satisfaction might influence small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) employees' propensity to engage in innovative work behaviours. The authors examine the relations between job satisfaction and innovative work behaviour and each of its sub-dimensions: idea generation, promotion and realisation. Additionally, the authors explore the potential moderating effects of openness to experience and conscientiousness on the relations between job satisfaction and innovative work behaviour and each of the sub-dimensions of innovative work behaviour.Design/methodology/approachPaper-based questionnaires were used to collect data from employees in 28 SMEs located in the Aargau region of Switzerland. All the SMEs were part of the high-tech manufacturing industry. The authors’ hypothesized model was tested using hierarchal regression analysis on a sample of 125 employees.FindingsJob satisfaction was positively related to innovative work behaviour and to each of its sub-dimensions: idea generation, promotion and realisation. Openness to experience moderated the relationships between job satisfaction and innovative work behaviour and job satisfaction and the sub-dimensions idea generation, idea promotion and idea realisation. However, conscientiousness did not moderate the relationship between job satisfaction and innovative work behaviour, nor between job satisfaction and each of the sub-dimensions of innovative work behaviour.Practical implicationsFindings demonstrate that supportive work environments in SMEs which help develop job satisfaction among employees can have positive effects on the discretionary performances of employees.Originality/valueStudies that examine relationships between job satisfaction and innovative work behaviours in SMEs are extremely sparse. This study makes novel contributions to this line of inquiry by examining how job satisfaction relates to each of the three sub-dimensions of innovative work behaviour and by exploring the potential moderating roles of two important personality traits in these relationships.

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 682-700
Author(s):  
Lihua Fu ◽  
Zhiying Liu

Purpose This study aims to investigate antecedent conditions that lead to the development of distributed leadership (DL). The authors examine how the emergence of DL is affected by empowerment and internal context, which consists of shared purpose, social support and voice. The moderating effects of training are also investigated. Design/methodology/approach To test the hypotheses, this empirical analysis of the relationship between the variables was based on the results of a questionnaire survey on 62 teams in high-tech enterprises of mainland China. Findings Results indicate that empowerment and internal context in the team significantly predict the extent of DL and that training has positive moderating effects on the relationships. Practical implications The results imply that firms must carefully analyze specific team conditions to ensure shared purpose, social support and voice in each team. This study also suggests the importance of empowerment. Moreover, enterprises can use training, a human resource tool, to enhance the positive effects of internal context and empowerment on DL. Originality/value By building on upper echelons theory and integrating insights from contingency theory, this study extends prior research by examining the direct effects of both empowerment managerial system and internal context on DL and the moderating effect of training.


2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (10) ◽  
pp. 1222-1246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo Mura ◽  
Emanuele Lettieri ◽  
Giovanni Radaelli ◽  
Nicola Spiller

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide arguments and empirical evidence that different knowledge sharing behaviours – i.e. sharing best practices, sharing mistakes, seeking feedbacks – are promoted and enabled by different types of knowledge assets, and differently affect employees’ innovative work behaviours. Design/methodology/approach The research framework includes four sets of constructs: employees’ innovative work behaviour, knowledge sharing, knowledge assets, psychological safety. The literature-grounded hypotheses were tested collecting data from healthcare professionals from three hospice and palliative care organisations in Italy. In all, 195 questionnaires were analysed using structural equations modelling technique. Findings First, findings show that the linkage between knowledge assets and knowledge sharing is both direct and indirect with psychological safety as relevant mediating construct. The linkage between relational and structural social capital and seeking feedbacks and sharing mistakes is fully mediated by psychological safety. Second, findings show that each dimension of knowledge sharing affects the different dimensions of employees’ innovative work behaviour – i.e. idea generation, idea promotion, idea implementation – in a distinct manner. While sharing of best practices influences all of them, seeking feedbacks affects idea promotion and sharing mistakes influences idea implementation. Practical implications The results provide operations managers with a clearer picture of how to pursue improvements of current operations by leveraging on knowledge sharing among employees through the creation of numerous, high-quality interpersonal relationships among employees, based on rich and cohesive network ties. Originality/value This study, by adopting a micro-level perspective, offers an original perspective on how knowledge assets and knowledge sharing initiatives may contribute to the engagement of innovative work behaviour by employees.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Baafi ◽  
Abraham Ansong ◽  
Kennedy Etse Dogbey ◽  
Nicodemus Osei Owusu

PurposeThis study explores the role of transformational leadership, transactional leadership and resource supply in enhancing innovative work behaviour using the mediation model.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data was gathered from 314 local government staff from the six metropolitan assemblies in Ghana. Structural equation modelling was used for the analysis.FindingsThe results suggest that transformational and transactional leadership behaviours provided an impetus for innovative behaviours. Also, resource supply was found to mediate the relationship between transformational leadership behaviours and innovative work behaviour.Practical implicationsPublic managers can improve the innovative behaviour of public servants by providing resources for innovation, setting up proper reward structures, communicating vision clearly and clarifying performance expectations.Originality/valueThis is the first study to investigate innovative work behaviour within the Ghanaian local government sector and the context of a developing country in Africa. The study extends the literature on innovative work behaviour by exploring the role of leadership and resource supply.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rehema Namono ◽  
Ambrose Kemboi ◽  
Joel Chepkwony

PurposeDespite the current dynamism in the education sector that was manifested in new approaches to work that require innovative workforce, little empirical studies have been conducted on how to influence innovativeness in higher education institutions. Moreover, though studies have established a link between hope and innovative work behaviour, no study has established how hope and its two components of agency and pathways influence innovative work behaviour. The purpose of this study is to establish the influence of hope and its two components of agency and pathways on innovative work behaviour.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative cross-sectional research design was adopted in this study. The study employed hierarchical regression to test the hypothesised relationship between hope and its components of agency and pathways on innovative work behaviour using a sample drawn from public universities in Uganda in the two categories of academic and administrative staff.FindingsThe findings reveal that pathways and agency influence innovative work behaviour. The Findings also revealed that hope significantly influences innovative work behaviour over and above its individual components of agency and pathways.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was cross-sectional in nature and the findings may not portray a true picture of the relationship between the study variables over time as behaviour is ever changing. Further studies could carry out a longitudinal study to establish the effect established in this study at different time intervals. The results provide a more complex understanding of how hope and its two components of agency and pathways enhance innovative work behaviour.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study provide insightful direction to managers in public universities in Uganda to consider different avenues of increasing employee hope so as to enhance innovative work behaviour. This can be done through targeted interventions like involving employees in goal setting and setting alternative means to achieve goals.Originality/valueThe value of this study is both empirical and theoretical. Empirically, this study is the first to establish the influence of hope and its two components of agency and pathways on innovative work behaviour in Uganda’s university setting. Theoretically, the study extends veracity of the conservation of resources theory (COR) by clarifying those employees who possess the psychological characteristics of hope exhibit innovative work behaviour. The study also extends on the theory of hope by revealing that agency and pathways influence innovative work behaviour.


2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joather Al Wali ◽  
Rajendran Muthuveloo ◽  
Ai Ping Teoh

PurposeThe study aims to examine the relationship between innovative work behaviour (IWB) and JP amongst physicians in Iraq public hospitals. The study also determines the effects of creative self-efficacy (CSE) and humble leadership (HL) on IWB. Besides, the study investigates the mediating role of IWB on the relationship between CSE and JP as well as between HL and JP.Design/methodology/approachA total of 332 respondents participated in the survey, although 173 responses were utilised after data screening. The study employs the structural equation modelling via partial least squares (PLS-SEM) to ascertain the relationship between the variables.FindingsEvidence from the study indicates that IWB has a positive relationship with JP, whilst CSE and HL are significant determinants of IWB amongst physicians in Iraq public hospitals. The study provides evidence that IWB plays a positive mediating role in the relationship between CSE and JP as well as between HL and JP amongst physicians in Iraq public hospitals.Originality/valueThe study implies that the JP of physicians in Iraq public hospitals can be enhanced by IWB, whilst the latter can be improved by CSE and HL. The influences of CSE and HL on JP can be boosted by IWB. Hence, efforts to promote IWB should be vigorously pursued by Iraq public hospitals to foster the physicians' JP.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shehla Malik

Purpose This study aims to examine the underlying process through which emotional intelligence impacts employees’ innovative work behaviour by testing the mediating role played by tacit knowledge sharing in organizations. The direct and indirect effects of emotional intelligence on innovative work behaviour of employees were explored. Design/methodology/approach A structured survey questionnaire was used to collect data from 171 full-time employees of five high-tech knowledge-intensive organizations located in India. The hypotheses were tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling. Findings The results revealed that emotional intelligence had a direct positive impact on tacit knowledge sharing and innovative work behaviour of employees. Similarly, tacit knowledge sharing positively influenced innovative work behaviour. The study further showed that the relationship between emotional intelligence and innovative work behaviour was partially mediated by tacit knowledge sharing. Practical implications To enhance innovative behaviour at work, organizations should concentrate on building the emotional competencies of its employees to increase their emotional intelligence level through suitable training programs. Besides, organizations should also focus on shaping a knowledge-sharing culture by building systems and processes through which free exchange of tacit knowledge among employees can be promoted to enhance their innovative work behaviour. Originality/value This study contributes to the existing pool of knowledge by demonstrating the unexplored effect of emotional intelligence on innovative work behaviour via the mediating role of tacit knowledge sharing. It also advances current literature on emotional intelligence, tacit knowledge sharing and innovative work behaviour by discussing useful theoretical implications of the findings.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 337-362
Author(s):  
Gwyneth Edwards ◽  
Abdulrahman Chikhouni ◽  
Rick Molz

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the relative institutional distance of the subsidiary from the multinational enterprise (MNE) headquarters influences job satisfaction in the subsidiary. The authors argue that job satisfaction in the MNE subsidiary will be influenced by the institutional distance between the firm’s home (headquarter) and host (subsidiary) countries, such that the greater the institutional distance, the less satisfied the subsidiary employees. The authors also argue that the degree of function interdependence (global vs local roles) will moderate this relationship, such that high interdependence will result in lower job satisfaction as distance increases. Design/methodology/approach Using data from a global high-tech Canadian MNE, consisting of over 15,000 employees located in 19 subsidiaries, the research undertakes an empirical investigation that identifies if and how job satisfaction varies between countries and tests the influence of subsidiary-level institutional distance from the headquarters on subsidiary-level job satisfaction, using a multilevel model. Findings The results demonstrate that subsidiary distance from the headquarters has a complex effect on subsidiary-level job satisfaction; in some distances, no effect is found, while in others, either some or all job satisfaction facets are affected (depending on the distance and facet) in both positive and negative ways. Unlike much of the past research on distance, which has treated distance as a barrier to be overcome or reduce (Stahl et al., 2016), the paper’s finding demonstrate that “negative” distance operates independently (and at varying strengths and significance) than “positive” distance, due to underlying mechanisms. Research limitations/implications There is a real opportunity to push ahead on linking international business strategy research with organizational theory and organizational behavior research. To do so, it requires not only a positive organizational scholarship approach (Stahl et al., 2016) but also methods that will allow researchers to study the influence of distance on mechanisms and processes, as opposed to stand-alone variables. The authors therefore suggest that future work in this area pursue qualitative methods as called for by Chapman et al. (2008). Practical implications Findings are surprising, in that results vary across job facets and distances. Practitioners need to therefore focus on the mechanisms that influence job satisfaction, not just differences and their potential negative impact. Originality/value The firm-level study provides a rich perspective on the complex way in which country-level differences influence subsidiary-level job satisfaction.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Shahin Alam ◽  
DuckJung Shin

PurposeThis study developed and tested a moderated mediation model on workplace diversity management. The analysis examined whether diversity management affects job satisfaction via perceived discrimination, depending on employees' openness to experience.Design/methodology/approachBuilding upon the assumptions of social identity theory, social cognitive theory and Big-Five theory, this study proposed and tested a model that analyzes the process through which diversity management influences perceived visible diversity discrimination and job satisfaction, depending on employees' openness to experience.FindingsThis study found support for the proposed moderated mediation model, which suggests that diversity management interacts with employees' openness to experience personality to influence their job satisfaction through perceived visible diversity discrimination. The results indicated that diversity management increased employees' job satisfaction in the workplace and that the relationship between diversity management and job satisfaction was further mediated by employees' perceptions of being discriminated against because of their age, gender and racial identities. The effect of diversity management on job satisfaction through perceived visible diversity discrimination was stronger when employees had high levels of openness to experience.Practical implicationsThe results of the study suggest that the diversity management is an important organizational intervention to improve job satisfaction by providing a scientific explanation of its underlying psychological process and identifying the factors associated with the process, such as personality and perception of being discriminated.Originality/valueThis study contributes to extend the diversity management literature by applying the assumptions of social identity theory, social cognitive theory and Big-Five theory together to identify the relationship between diversity management and job satisfaction and the effect of perceived discrimination and openness to experience in the relationship.


2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bang-Ning Hwang ◽  
Tsai-Ti Chen ◽  
James T. Lin

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to identify the key third-party logistics (3PL) selection criteria for the integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing industry in Taiwan. The IC manufacturing industry seeks global sourcing, and is facing increasing pressure due to fierce market competition. More than a cost reduction strategy, 3PL is a strategic tool for IC manufacturers to gain a competitive advantage in a global supply chain complex. Design/methodology/approach – The triangulation method that combines qualitative and quantitative approaches was used in the study. The qualitative approach of focus group discussions was adopted to establish the decision framework, and the quantitative approach of the analytic hierarchy process was used to explore the relative importance of the 3PL selection criteria. Finally, an in-depth proof-by-example interview was undertaken to provide an insightful interpretation of the research results. Findings – The research shows that performance is the most important criterion group, followed by cost, service, quality assurance, intangible and information technology. At the detailed sub-criteria level, document accuracy, problem-solving capability, continuous cost reduction, value-added services and associated cost control capability are the top five criteria. Research limitations/implications – This study focused on the IC manufacturing sector in Taiwan. Multi-country and multi-industry studies are recommended to help further validate and generalise the research findings. Originality/value – Due to its application of triangulation, this study is a pioneering work on the 3PL selection criteria in a high-tech manufacturing industry. Furthermore, the value of this research is that it enhances the body of knowledge of 3PL selection by identifying certain emerging selection criteria, it could serve as a guideline for IC manufacturers in planning logistics outsourcing actions and it could significantly contribute to the efforts of 3PL providers in evaluating whether they comply with customer needs and adhere to core competency development.


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