INDIVIDUAL INNOVATIVE WORK BEHAVIOUR: EFFECTS OF PERSONALITY, TEAM LEADERSHIP AND CLIMATE IN THE US CONTEXT

Abstract

This paper is the first to empirically investigate the connections between the Big Five personality factors, ambidextrous team leadership, organisational climate of US workers that supports innovation, and individual innovative work behaviour. A self-report survey was used to obtain data from 215 team members in US-based corporations. We provide an empirically tested model of the positive influence of Openness to Experiences, Extraversion and Conscientiousness personality traits on individual innovative work behaviour. Results also confirm that supervisors’ leadership behaviours and a supportive organisational climate of innovation have a moderating influence on this set of relationships. Individuals can develop their individual innovative work behaviour. Supervisors can adopt higher levels of opening behaviours and executives can create a climate supportive of innovation to boost individual innovative work behaviour. This study further demonstrates that Big Five personality traits interact with supervisor behaviours and a supportive climate to foster individual innovative work behaviour.