Employability and innovative work behaviours in SMEs in a Euroregion. A cross-national comparison between Belgium and the Netherlands
| Date | 16 October 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-10-2018-0387 |
| Pages | 167-187 |
| Published date | 16 October 2019 |
| Author | Jol Stoffers,Karolien Hendrikx,Omar Habets,Beatrice van der Heijden |
| Subject Matter | Hr & organizational behaviour,Global hrm |
Employability and innovative
work behaviours in SMEs
in a Euroregion
A cross-national comparison between
Belgium and the Netherlands
Jol Stoffers
Research Centre for Employability,
Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Sittard, The Netherlands;
Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, The Netherlands and
ROA, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
Karolien Hendrikx
Research Centre for Innovative Entrepreneurship,
PXL University College, Hasselt, Belgium
Omar Habets
Research Centre for Employability,
Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Sittard, The Netherlands, and
Beatrice van der Heijden
Institute for Management Research/Strategic HRM,
Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands;
Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, The Netherlands;
Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium;
Hubei University, Wuhan, China and
Kingston University, London, UK
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is t o investigate possible difference s in the degrees of employability,
leader–member exchan ge (LMX) and innovativ e work behaviours in a comparison between Belgi um and
the Netherlands. Alth ough neighbouring coun tries, disparate nat ional cultures betwee n the two are
assumed to influence the a mount of employability, LMX and innovative work be haviours among their
respective working popu lations. Furthermore, this pa per aims to validate a mediation mode la cross the two
countries to test wheth er employability (partially) mediat es the relationship between LMX and innov ative
work behaviours.
Design/methodology/approach –Data from employees and their immediate supervisors working in
small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Belgium and the Netherlands supported the hypothesized model.
Structural equation modelling was used to investigate the mediation model using a multi-source approach.
Findings –The amount of employability and innovative work behaviours of employees appeared to differ
significantly between Belgium and the Netherlands. Furthermore, the results suggested that for both
countries a positive relationship with one’s immediate supervisor (LMX) is beneficial in the light of workers’
innovative work behaviours, through its impact on employability, which was found to be a full mediator in
this relationship.
Research limitations/implications –Future studies using a longitudinal approach could give more
insight into the model relationships. Moreover, the variation in systems, national contexts and managerial
practices in the Euroregion calls for more cross-national comparative scholarly research.
Practical implications –SMEs often do not employ professionals to manage human resources, that is,
supervisorsthemselves have to carry the responsibilityto encourage employees to further developthemselves
and to enhance theirinnovative work behaviours.This while the challenge of more cross-national cooperation
encourages a boost for innovations in the Euroregion.
Personnel Review
Vol. 49 No. 1, 2020
pp. 167-187
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0048-3486
DOI 10.1108/PR-10-2018-0387
Received 5 October 2018
Revised 14 May 2019
Accepted 8 June 2019
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0048-3486.htm
167
Employability
and innovative
work
behaviours
Originality/value –This study is the first cross-national validation of a mediation model wherein a
competence-based measure of employability is incorporated as a possible mediator in the relationship
between LMX and innovative work behaviours.
Keywords Quantitative, Employability, Advanced Statistical, Small- and Medium-sized enterprises,
Cross-national comparison, Innovative work behaviours, Leader–member exchange
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) represent the majority of all enterprises in
Belgium and the Netherlands (European Commission, 2018a), accounting for the larger
portion of employment and economic value added, with 69.3 per cent of the Belgian and
64.2 per cent of the Dutch working population, respectively, being employed in SMEs
(European Commission, 2018b, c). Despite these companies’important contributions to the
economy of the distinguished countries, the HRM literature is characterized by a large gap
regarding the scholarly work on human resources in SMEs (Sheehan, 2014). Research on
HRM practices mainly focuses on larger working organizations, though there appears to be
important differences between larger working organizations, on the one hand, and
small- and medium-sized companies, on the other hand. As regards the latter, earlier
research has indicated that HRM policies in SMEs are constructed informally, have a
short-term focus and are characterized by personal approaches (Garavan et al., 2016;
Stoffers and Van der Heijden, 2018). Consequently, given the fact that in many SMEs formal
HRM policies are lacking (Nolan and Garavan, 2016, supervisors in SMEs play an even more
crucial role in stimulating employee development and performance (Stoffers et al., 2018) in
comparison with large organizations where more formal policies are in place.
In particular, for SMEs, it is critical to enhance their employees’ability to portray
innovative behaviours in order to realizecompetitive advantage. Innovativework behaviours
can be defined a s “theintentional creation, introduction, and application of new ideaswithin a
work role, group or organization, in order to promote role performance, the group, or the
organization”(Janssen, 2000, p. 288). These kinds of behaviours not only involve generating
new ideas but also promoting and realizing innovative ideas; that is, innovative work
behaviours not only concern wanting to innovate but also being able to innovate.
Unfortunately, the level of innovation in SMEs is much lowerthan needed, primarily because
of the complexity, uncertainty and high risk which is typical of innovation (Griffiths-Hemans
and Grover 2006; Parida et al., 2012). Next to that, SMEs frequently lack a multi-disciplinary
competence base among their working staff members (Bianchi et al., 2010). In other words, the
employability or career potential (Van der Heijde and Van der Heijden, 2006; Van der Heijden
et al., 2018) of employees working in SMEs is in urgent need of further enhancement, in order to
safeguard SMEs potential to contribute to innovations (Van der Zee et al., 2012). Employability
can be defined as “the continuously fulfilling, acquiring or creating of work through the optimal
use of competences”(Van der Heijde and Van der Heijden, 2006, p. 453), referring to the
competences of workers to respond to company requirements now and in the future.
In the current economy, due to global competition, ever-increasing market pressures,
informatization and leaner organizations (Greenhaus et al., 2008; Lazarova and Taylor,
2009), job qualifications are changing at an ever-increasing rate, and the predictability of
traditional career paths has become impossible. Hence, remaining highly adaptable has
become a priority for working organizations across the globe ( Jacobs, 2019), and both
employability and innovative work behaviours are important employee characteristics for
dealing with contemporary challenges (Hapsari et al., 2019). Innovation in a firm is fuelled
by employee innovativeness, which has proven to contribute positively to SMEs’
performance (Abdullah et al., 2014; Kesting and Parm Ulhøi, 2010). Hence, HRM practices in
SMEs, as conducted by supervisors, should focus on stimulating employability and
innovative work behaviours in order to realize new products and services.
168
PR
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