Examining the impact of social exchange relationships on innovative work behaviour: Role of work engagement

Abstract

Purpose

This paper concurrently examines the antecedents, moderator as well as mediator of innovative work behavior (IWB).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reports a quantitative study of 510 managers from two service organizations based in western India. The focus of the paper is to examine the predictive ability of leader–member exchange (LMX), perceived organizational support (POS) and engagement on employees' IWB. Role of LMX as moderating variable (in POS–IWB relationship) and work engagement as the underlying mechanism explaining the relationship between predicting variables (LMX and POS) and IWB is tested.

Findings

Results suggest that LMX, POS and work engagement positively relate to innovative employee behavior; LMX moderates the relationship between POS and innovative employee behavior. Additionally, work engagement mediates the relationship of LMX and POS with IWB.

Research limitations/implications

Although this study is cross-sectional in nature, its findings have implications for contemporary leadership and organizational psychology research.

Originality/value

This study significantly contributes to four different bodies of knowledge–work engagement, LMX, POS and IWB. The study also contributes in terms of its context. With increasing multinational opening their business in India, an understanding of employee motivation has become an important concern. This research is one of the rare attempts to examine engagement levels of Indian managerial employees.

Citation

A. Agarwal, U. (2014), "Examining the impact of social exchange relationships on innovative work behaviour: Role of work engagement", Team Performance Management, Vol. 20 No. 3/4, pp. 102-120. https://doi.org/10.1108/TPM-01-2013-0004