Strategizing for innovative work behavior in higher education institutions: the role of creative self-efficacy

Purpose Scholars have emphasized the antecedent role of personal factors such as creative self-efficacy (CSE) in enhancing innovative behavior in work settings. Existent studies have revealed that individuals with high CSE have the cognitive ability to resiliently exhibit innovative work behavior (IWB). Little is however known as regards the influence of CSE on innovative work behavior in service settings, more so in developing countries. This study sought to establish the antecedent role of CSE on IWB as a multistage process comprising creativity and IWB. Design/methodology/approach The research adopted a cross-sectional research design to establish the hypothetical influence of CSE on innovative work behavior and collected data at one point in time. The researchers used regression analysis to establish the influence of CSE on IWB using a sample of teaching staff selected from Ugandan public Universities. Findings The findings reveal that CSE has a significant effect on creativity as the first step in the innovation process. The results further revealed that CSE has a statistically significant influence on IWB. Research limitations/implications The researchers collected data from public Universities, and the application of the findings may fall short when applied to a setting of private universities. Therefore, future research can consider a setting of private universities to replicate the current study findings. The study was cross-sectional, and yet employees' CSE and innovation behavior may change over time. This study opens grounds for longitudinal research in the same research area. Practical implications The study shapes direction for practicing managers to resiliently strategize for enhancing creative self-efficacy of employees to promote IWB. Specifically, our study indicates that organizations must enhance positive organizational behavior like CSE to enhance employees' ability to resiliently overcome the fear of uncertainty associated with innovation. While devising the intervention strategies geared towards enhancing CSE, organizations need to consider the stage of IWB required whether at creativity or innovation stage of the innovative behavior. Originality/value This research is empirically and theoretically valuable. This is an original study to establish a direct causal influence of CSE on creativity and IWB using a sample drawn from public Universities in the context of a developing Country. Theoretically, the study expands on the applicability of the social cognitive theory (SCT) by revealing that the influence of an individual's personality characteristics like CSE varies with the stage of IWB because the tasks involved in the various types of IWB differ and thus the magnitude of influence varies.