The double‐edged sword: A work regulatory focus perspective on the relationship between organizational identification and innovative behaviour

Abstract

Prior research on the organizational identification‐innovative behaviour link has produced contradictory findings. Based on regulatory focus theory, we propose that work promotion focus and work prevention focus are two parallel mechanisms that motivate or demotivate employees to innovate and which of the processes will be activated depends on the level of learning goal orientation. Data were collected through a time‐lagged and multisource survey. The final sample included 268 employees, whose innovative behaviour was assessed by their line managers. Hypotheses were tested using hierarchical regression analyses. Results indicated that organizational identification was associated with more innovative behaviour via work promotion focus, but less innovative behaviour via work prevention focus. Meanwhile, employees high on both organizational identification and learning goal orientation were more likely to be work promotion focused and behave more innovatively, whereas those high on organizational identification and low on learning goal orientation were more likely to be work prevention focused and behave less innovatively. Theoretical and practical contributions of this study were discussed.

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