Taking Science Fiction seriously: Unveiling its relationship with employee’s Innovative Work Behavior

Abstract

While existing literature acknowledges the role of science fiction in foreseeing technological advancements, a notable gap persists in understanding the underlying factors that drive or hinder individuals from the intention to generate and promote ideas gathered through science fiction. Our research model aims to shed novel light on what factors influence employees’ propensity to generate and promote ideas inspired by science fiction, through the lenses of institutional theory. Purposefully, we frame science fiction methodologies inside the Innovative Work Behavior discourse, as science fiction could be a fruitful tool to generate and promote ideas, and we investigate the interplay of rational and institutional influences on such behaviors. The findings provide valuable insights that can be leveraged to design and implement effective methodologies within organizational settings. Our study, based on data from 480 employees, employs Structural Equation Modeling to reveal the pivotal role of normative influence in idea generation, while idea promotion exhibits a robust association with cultural-cognitive influence, pinpointing the dual phase of science fiction methodologies.