DETERMINANTS OF INNOVATIVE WORK BEHAVIOUR AMONG ACADEMICS IN SAUDI ARABIA: QUALITY CULTURE AS MODERATOR

Abstract

ABSTRACT In recent years, there has been a notable increase in government financing and investment directed towards Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Saudi Arabia. This trend highlights the crucial significance of academicians’ hard and soft skills in shaping their performance. The concept of academic Innovative Work Behaviour (IWB) is strongly associated with the ability to come up with and share original ideas. The objective of this study is to further investigate the influence of academic talents on several aspects of innovative work behaviour, with a specific focus on the creation and advancement of novel ideas. Comprehending these processes is crucial for cultivating a culture of innovation within the academic domain. This study looks at the factors that influence innovative work behaviour (IWB) among academic staff in Saudi Arabian higher education institutions (HEIs). This study examines the impact of various factors on IWB, including extrinsic motivation, communication efficacy, self-determination, competence, management support, and psychological empowerment, with the moderating influence of quality culture, with a focus on the country’s underutilization of human resources for innovative ideas despite significant government investments in HEIs. Using an approach grounded in the self-determination theory and the social cognitive theory, the study analysed data from 390 assistant professors, associate professors, and professors. While four out of six primary hypotheses were found to be supported, self-determination and management support were not found to have a significant effect on IWB. In addition, the analysis revealed that the quality culture moderated the association between the aforementioned variables only and innovative work behaviour. The research provides valuable insights into the dynamics of innovative work behaviour within the academic setting of Saudi Arabia, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the factors that foster or inhibit the cultivation of an innovative culture within higher education institutions. This research enriches the literature by examining IWB among academics, incorporating quality culture as a moderating variable. Unlike prior studies predominantly focused on industrial settings, this study offers a nuanced understanding of how these variables function within HEIs. It also has strong implications for administrators, who are encouraged to prioritize programs that enhance extrinsic motivation, competence, communication efficacy, and psychological empowerment among academic staff. Furthermore, this study discussed the limitations and recommends future research that might contribute to the body of knowledge.