Fostering employee innovative behaviour through receipt of helping and voice behaviours from co-workers: the mediating roles of knowledge transfer and knowledge creation

Abstract

Given the impact of employee innovative behaviour on organisational success, a considerable amount of research attention has been paid to identifying determinants of employee innovative behaviour. However, relatively little is known about the impact of an employee's receipt of helping and voice behaviours exhibited by co-workers on the employee's innovative behaviour. Thus, drawing upon theories of workplace learning and knowledge management, we develop a conceptual model describing how receipt of helping behaviour and voice behaviour fosters employee innovative behaviour through formal, informal, and incidental learning. Additionally, we theoretically explore the mediating roles of knowledge transfer and knowledge creation. By doing so, our conceptual model provides important theoretical contributions to the literature. More importantly, our conceptual model offers crucial managerial insights into fostering employee innovative behaviour through effective organisational learning and knowledge management practices that encourage interpersonal helping and constructive criticism.