Abstract
PurposeHow to design jobs to support innovation is an issue that has received plenty of consideration over the past years. Building on the job characteristics model, the present study is set up to identify configurations of perceived job characteristics for innovation.Design/methodology/approachBy adopting a fuzzy-set configurational approach (fsQCA), the research question is addressed through a two-wave self-report survey of 199 employees of an Italian manufacturing company.FindingsResults reveal four compatible configurations of job characteristics leading to high levels of innovative work behavior and two for low levels.Practical implicationsThe results offer guidance for managers and organizations that aim to strengthen employee-driven innovation by offering different recipes of job design to maximize the chance of boosting innovative behaviors among their workers.Originality/valueThis research is one of the first to empirically test the relation of job characteristics for innovative behavior using a configurational approach. By doing so it contributes to the literature by advancing the notion that innovative endeavors are determined by the holistic effects of different interdependent configurations of job characteristics.
Highlights
Over the past few decades, managers and researchers have been looking at ways to properly design jobs so that employees are more innovative (e.g. Hernaus, 2016)
The present study takes a diverse approach from traditional innovation and job design research employing configurational analysis
By considering the role of different configurations of job characteristics, this paper aimed at shedding light on how distinct job recipes may lead employees to high levels of innovative work behaviors
Summary
Over the past few decades, managers and researchers have been looking at ways to properly design jobs so that employees are more innovative (e.g. Hernaus, 2016). Employees can contribute to the development of innovations with their intentional generation, promotion and realization of new and useful ideas, processes, products or procedures within a role, group or organization (Janssen, 2000). These behaviors are defined as innovative work behaviors (IWB) and are a key factor in supporting the entire innovation process of public and private organizations (Potocnik and Anderson, 2016; Kmieciak, 2020; Battistelli et al, 2021). Job design can be utilized to create a supportive and stimulating work environment that enhances IWBs (Parker et al, 2021). The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
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