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The Effect of Corporate Support Programs on Employees’ Innovative Behavior: A Cross‐Cultural Study
Author(s) -
Engelen Andreas,
Weinekötter Lea,
Saeed Saadat,
Enke Susanne
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of product innovation management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.646
H-Index - 144
eISSN - 1540-5885
pISSN - 0737-6782
DOI - 10.1111/jpim.12386
Subject(s) - sample (material) , hofstede's cultural dimensions theory , individualism , uncertainty avoidance , marketing , variables , business , multilevel model , entrepreneurship , china , variable (mathematics) , psychology , social psychology , economics , political science , collectivism , computer science , mathematical analysis , chemistry , mathematics , finance , chromatography , machine learning , market economy , law
This article establishes a theoretical model that sheds light on whether corporate support programs can foster employees’ innovative behavior across nations and which national cultural dimensions moderate this relationship. To validate the arguments empirically, this research consists of two sequential, independent studies. The first study uses secondary data from the 2011 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor special report. Analysis of responses from 11,560 full‐time employees in 13 countries shows that the relationship between support and innovative behavior is more positive when the nation's levels of power distance and masculinity are low and individualism is strong. A second experimental study is conducted in Germany and China using employees’ individual behavior as the dependent variable and corporate support programs differentiated into three types of corporate support (providing time, providing budget, and providing advice) as the independent variable. Findings indicate that all three types of corporate support programs positively impact employees’ innovative behavior in the sample from Germany, at least indirectly via feasibility and desirability judgments as mediators, but no significant relationships in the sample from China. This study contributes to the research stream on employees’ innovative behavior and corporate support programs by adding national cultural properties as environmental factors. In addition, this study investigates the mediating effect of feasibility and desirability judgments between three types of corporate support programs and innovative behavior. This study also contributes to innovation research in general and to research on employees’ innovative behavior in particular by building and validating a multilevel model empirically.