Innovative behaviors: A survey about their associated effects in a dynamic environment

Abstract

Purpose

New organizational arrangements are crucial for firms that want to innovate, particularly for those that are highly dependent on digital technologies. Hence, innovative behaviors play a vital role in resetting organizational practices. This research examines the impact of innovative ideas on innovation performance-oriented behaviors and tries to understand the role of employees’ experimentation and collaboration-oriented behaviors.

Theoretical framework

The organizational behavior and innovation literature is the theoretical lens used to support research.

Design/methodology/approach

The literature review focuses on a stream of research on innovative behaviors, raising questions about behavioral relationships. A set of hypotheses is tested through structural equation modeling (SEM) to investigate the associated effects of innovative ideas, experimentation, collaboration, and innovative performance-oriented behaviors in a digital transformative context. The sample consists of 106 employees from a Brazilian e-commerce firm.

Findings

The findings reveal that only collaboration-oriented behaviors have a positive mediating effect between innovative ideas and innovation performance-oriented behaviors. Experimentation-oriented behaviors have no effect as mediators on innovation performance-oriented behaviors or as influencers on collaboration-oriented behaviors. Innovative ideas have no direct effect on innovation performance-oriented behaviors, but they do have a positive effect when mediated by collaboration and experimentation.

Practical & social implications of research

Collaboration and experimentation-oriented behaviors are explored separately, and this distinction is also important for innovation management theory and for firms by showing how two specific types of behaviors, which are differently correlated, influence innovation performance-oriented behaviors in dynamic environments.

Originality/value

The study’s main contribution is related to it demonstrating the value of innovative behaviors for innovation management in practice, showing that a different behavioral approach can support firms in achieving innovativeness.

Keywords:
Collaborative behavior; experimental behavior; innovative ideas; innovation performance; employees’ behaviors