oa Determinanten van innovatief gedrag: een onderzoek onder kenniswerkers in het MKB

Determinants of innovative behavior: A study among SME knowledge workers

Jeroen P.J. de Jong & Deanne N. den Hartog, Gedrag & Organisatie, Volume 18, October 2005, p. 235-259.

In order to develop new products, services and/or better work processes in organizations, innovative behavior of individual employees is an important requirement. This also applies to knowledge workers in small and medium-sized enterprises such as consultancy, research and engineering firms. Yet, in previous research SME knowledge workers' determinants of innovative behavior have rarely been examined. This study investigates the relationship between a strategic organizational focus on innovation and innovative behavior of knowledge workers. It also explores the moderating influences of various work and environmental characteristics. Multilevel analyses, applied on survey data from 360 knowledge workers in 36 firms, show that a strategic focus on innovation is positively related to the innovative behavior of knowledge workers. The effect increases when specific work characteristics apply, namely perceived job variation, job autonomy and an innovative working climate. Moreover, some work characteristics are directly related to innovative behavior of employees: once again variation and autonomy, as well as having frequent external contacts. Finally, the analysis demonstrates that knowledge workers behave more innovative in sectors where competition is based on new or improved products and services.