The Effect of Psychological Empowerment on Innovative Work Behavior: The Mediating Role of Employee Voice

Abstract

The importance of innovative work behavior cannot be downplayed as it functions as a key variable through which novel ideas translates into innovative outputs enabling businesses to survive and thrive. The study investigated the effect of psychological empowerment on employee innovative work behavior by examining the mediating role of employee voice in Ghana. This was done to address the lack of research on this topic, as well as to contribute to the long-term strategic vision of the government of Ghana and foster innovation in the nation. Data from 200 full-time Ghanaian workers was used in this cross-sectional study. Employing Pearson’s correlation, linear regression and SEM, the empirical findings from the study demonstrates that psychological empowerment and employee voice correlates significantly and positively with innovative work behavior. Employee voice (promotive and prohibitive) sustained a favorable impact on innovative work behavior and also mediated the effect of psychological empowerment on employee innovative work behavior. The inference of this research implies that the government of Ghana and employers strengthen programs that integrate practices to increase employee psychological empowerment levels as a way of stimulating higher levels of innovative capabilities and also encourage employee voice primarily for the purpose of communicating ideas for organizational development.

Keywords: Psychological Empowerment, Voice, Innovative Work Behavior, Ghana

DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/13-18-10

Publication date:September 30^th 2021