Validation of innovative work behaviour scale: Indian apparel manufacturing sector

Abstract

The pervasive business competition in the last decade has compelled researchers to continuously focus on the measurement of innovative work behaviour (IWB). It is also vital to comprehend the employees’ IWB, as their activities/actions are of critical significance for constant improvement and innovation in the organisations. Understanding the concept and development of the theories on IWB, along with the measurement of IWB, is a prerequisite for developing models for enhancing IWB knowledge. With this backdrop, the present study seeks to test five different factorial structures of IWB on a sample of 372 employees working in Indian apparel manufacturing organisations. The data was collected through survey method in two phases (sample 1 = 192 employees and sample 2 = 180 employees) and were analysed for dimensionality and validity of IWB scale. The analysis of psychometric properties of scale revealed the reliability and validity of the correlated five -factor model and high order model of IWB consisting of 20 items. Moreover, the findings indicate the feasibility of IWB in measuring work behaviour related to innovation in the Indian apparel sector, which is a novel contribution in the field. The results can help employees and organisations to measure, evaluate and promote various dimensions or stages of IWB. Also, they can understand how to really practice innovation in the organisational environment of the apparel sector. In this way, by offering valuable insights into the dimensions of IWB, this study contributes to individual behavioural aspects of innovation research, informing theoretical models using data-driven information.