The Path to Sustainable Innovative Work Behaviour: Integrating Idea Implementation, Knowledge-Sharing Culture, and Cooperative Behaviour

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 DEAMS ‘Bruno de Finetti’, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy

2 School of Economics and Business, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

3 Department of industrial engineering, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran

Abstract

Environmental and social challenges place additional pressure on businesses to achieve sustainable performance, which is crucial for organisational success. In this study, we first investigate the association between idea implementation and sustainable innovative work behavior (SIWB), followed by an exploration of the moderating effect of cooperative behaviour and knowledge-sharing culture on such a relationship. The study is based on multi-source data collected from 189 employees and their supervisors across diverse units in the home appliances industry. Regression analysis confirmed a direct positive relationship between idea implementation and SIWB. While knowledge-sharing culture alone did not moderate the relationship between idea implementation and SIWB, a significant three-way interaction emerged among idea implementation, knowledge-sharing culture, and cooperative behaviour. The highest SIWB levels occurred when there was a strong presence of both knowledge-sharing and cooperation. We contribute valuable insights to the literature on sustainability and innovation by demonstrating how knowledge circulation and individual cooperation help turn ideas into sustainable innovative behaviour.

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