Decent work and innovative work behaviour: Mediating roles of work engagement, intrinsic motivation and job self‐efficacy

Abstract

In nowadays highly competitive and dynamic environment where employees' innovative work behaviour (IWB) has become critical source for business success, employees' quality of work lives is severely challenged by the global deregulated labour market. As an institutional effort to combat the challenges faced by labour world, the concept of decent work was proposed by International Labor Organization (ILO) in 1999, which is defined as work—and work‐related contexts—that provides adequate and fair income, social protection, security at workplace, opportunities for personal development and voice and participation in the decisions that affect their lives. This study examines whether realization of decent work promotes IWB. Based on a seven‐dimension construct of decent work, we propose that decent work promotes IWB through enhancing work engagement, with intrinsic motivation and job self‐efficacy partially mediating the positive effect of decent work on work engagement. By means of data with 517 supervisor–employee dyads, we test the hypotheses using structural equations modelling. Our results show good fitness of the hypothesized model, pass for the comparison of alternative models and testing of mediation effects and hence support all the hypotheses. Implications for theories and practices are discussed.