Innovative behavior, empowerment, and work engagement: Joint curvilinear effect on well-being

Abstract

The relationship between innovative behavior and psychological well-being has been well documented. Organizations believe that innovative behavior is essential for their survival and can increase their effectiveness, promoting employee happiness. However, the causal orientation discrepancies between self-determination theory and conservation of resources theory predict the complexity of this relationship. I examined the curvilinear relationship between innovative behavior and psychological well-being, as well as the moderating effects of empowering leadership and work engagement on this relationship. Analysis revealed an inverted U-shaped relationship between innovative behavior and psychological well-being, which was strengthened by empowering leadership and work engagement. Furthermore, psychological well-being positively influenced in-role performance. By revealing the effects on performance, this study contributes to the literature on innovation and positive organizational behavior, and provides practical implications and suggestions for future research on possible nonlinearities among the examined variables.