Joint effects of job demands and job resources on vocational teachers’ innovative work behavior
| Pages | 1948-1961 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-03-2016-0053 |
| Published date | 06 November 2017 |
| Date | 06 November 2017 |
| Author | Gerhard Messmann,Jol Stoffers,Beatrice Van der Heijden,Regina H. Mulder |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour,Global HRM |
Joint effects of job demands
and job resources on vocational
teachers’innovative
work behavior
Gerhard Messmann
Institute of Educational Science, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
Jol Stoffers
Research Centre for Employability, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences,
Sittard, The Netherlands
Beatrice Van der Heijden
Institute for Management Research, Radboud University, Nijmegen,
The Netherlands and Open University of The Netherlands, and
Kingston University, London, UK, and
Regina H. Mulder
Institute of Educational Science, University of Regensburg,
Regensburg, Germany
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to investigate interactions of job demands and job resources in the
facilitation of innovative work behavior (IWB). In particular, the paper aims at researching interactive effects of
psychological empowerment and participative safety and their potential to buffer negative effects of job demands.
Design/methodology/approach –A cross-sectional questionnaire study with 239 vocational teachers was
carried out. For hypotheses testing, multiple linear regression models were analyzed.
Findings –The study provides evidence for psychological empowerment and participative safety as individual
and interactive predictors of IWB. Furthermore, the findings indicate that effects of job demands are substantially
more positive when psychological empowerment is high and, conversely, when participative safety is low.
Research limitations/implications –Future studies should address the issues of the current study using
a longitudinal approach and additional data sources. Moreover, concerning generalizability, future studies
could move beyond the current study context of innovative vocational colleges and teachers.
Practical implications –The paper highlights the importance of creating resourceful work environments,
which empower employees and provide fellowship and minority acceptance. Furthermore, the findings call
for paying attention to individually varying perceptions of job demands and corresponding needs for
compensatory job resources.
Originality/value –The studyadds to closing the gap of lacking insightinto interactions amongestablished
predictors ofIWB. In particular, this regards interactions among demanding and resourcefulcharacteristics of
the work environmentthat need to be balanced in order to activate proactivebehaviors such as IWB.
Keywords Quantitative, Innovative work behaviour, Job demands, Psychological empowerment,
Participative safety, Vocational education
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Nowadays, work organizations recognize that their competitiveness and survival depend on
their ability to respond to changes, both within organizations and in their environment
(including customers, clients, and competing organizations). In order to react to such changes
appropriately, innovative products and processes are required to enhance internal processes
and outcomes and, subsequently, to maintain prosperous relationships with customers
and clients (Anderson et al., 2014; West and Farr, 1989). This also applies to educational
Personnel Review
Vol. 46 No. 8, 2017
pp. 1948-1961
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0048-3486
DOI 10.1108/PR-03-2016-0053
Received 15 March 2016
Revised 26 September 2016
Accepted 19 February 2017
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0048-3486.htm
1948
PR
46,8
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