Diversity of Social Ties and Employee InnovationThe Importance of Informal Learning and Reciprocity

  1. Nicola Cangialosi 1
  2. Carlo Odoardi 1
  3. Marco Peña-Jimenez 2
  4. Mirko Antino 3
  1. 1 Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy
  2. 2 Université Paris Nanterre, France
  3. 3 Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
Mostrar afiliaciones +
Revista:
Revista de psicología del trabajo y de las organizaciones = Journal of work and organizational psychology

ISSN: 1576-5962

Año de publicación: 2023

Volumen: 39

Número: 2

Páginas: 65-74

Tipo: Artículo

DOI: 10.5093/JWOP2023A8 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openAcceso abierto editor

Otras publicaciones en: Revista de psicología del trabajo y de las organizaciones = Journal of work and organizational psychology

Resumen

El estudio analiza la relación entre la variedad de vínculos sociales de los empleados (heterogeneidad de los vínculos cimentada en las funciones en la empresa), el comportamiento innovador en el trabajo, el aprendizaje informal de campo y la reciprocidad (proporción de vínculos bidireccionales). Se utilizó una muestra de 182 trabajadores de una empresa textil italiana. Se observó que la diversidad de vínculos sociales influye positivamente en el comportamiento innovador en el trabajo y que esta relación está mediada por el aprendizaje informal de campo. Además la reciprocidad fortalece la relación indirecta entre la diversidad de vínculos sociales y el comportamiento innovador en el trabajo. El estudio es una contribución a las publicaciones sobre redes e innovación al corroborar el papel que juega la diversidad de vínculos sociales en el impulso al comportamiento innovador en el trabajo, destacando la importancia del aprendizaje informal de campo y la influencia de la reciprocidad. De este modo el estudio aporta ideas sobre los procesos y condiciones en las que la diversidad de vínculos sociales tiene mayor repercusión en la innovación de los empleados, con implicaciones prácticas para impulsar el comportamiento innovador en el trabajo en las empresas.

Referencias bibliográficas

  • Abiew, G. E., Okyere-Kwakye, E., & Ellis, F. Y. A. (2021). Examining the effect of functional diversity on organizational team innovation. International Journal of Innovation Science, 14(2), 193 -212. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijis-02-2021-0027
  • Adler, P. S., & Kwon, S. W. (2002). Social capital: Prospects for a new concept. Academy of Management Review, 27(1), 17-40. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2002.5922314
  • Agneessens, F., & Labianca, G. J. (2022). Collecting survey-based social network information in work organizations. Social Networks, 68, 31-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2021.04.003
  • Amabile, T. M. (1996). Creativity and innovation in organizations (Vol. 5). Harvard Business School Press.
  • Anderson, N., Potonik, K., & Zhou, J. (2014). Innovation and creativity in organizations: A state-of-the-science review, prospective commentary, and guiding framework. Journal of Management, 40(5), 1297-1333. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206314527128
  • Anteby, M., Chan, C. K., & DiBenigno, J. (2016). Three lenses on occupations and professions in organizations: Becoming, doing, and relating. The Academy of Management Annals, 10(1), 183-244. https://doi.org/10.5465/19416520.2016.1120962
  • Antino, M., Rico, R., & Thatcher, S. M. (2019). Structuring reality through the faultlines lens: The effects of structure, fairness, and status conflict on the activated faultlines-performance relationship. Academy of Management Journal, 62(5), 1444-1470. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2017.0054
  • Baer, M. (2010). The strength-of-weak-ties perspective on creativity: A comprehensive examination and extension. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(3), 592-601. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018761
  • Baer, M., Evans, K., Oldham, G. R., & Boasso, A. (2015). The social network side of individual innovation: A meta-analysis and path-analytic integration. Organizational Psychology Review, 5(3), 191-223. https://doi.org/10.1177/2041386614564105
  • Battistelli, A., Odoardi, C., Cangialosi, N., Di Napoli, G., & Piccione, L. (2022). The role of image expectations in linking organizational climate and innovative work behaviour. European Journal of Innovation Management, 25(6), 204-222. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-01-2021-0044
  • Bliese, P. D. (2000). Within-group agreement, non-independence, and reliability: Implications for data aggregation and analysis. In K. J. Klein & S. W. J. Kozlowski (Eds.), Multilevel theory, research, and methods in organizations: Foundations, extensions, and new directions (pp. 349-381). Jossey-Bass. https://doi.org/10.1590/s1415-65552003000200014
  • Borgatti, S. P., & Cross, R. (2003). A relational view of information seeking and learning in social networks. Management Science, 49(4), 432-445. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.49.4.432.14428
  • Bos-Nehles, A. C., & Veenendaal, A. A. (2019). Perceptions of HR practices and innovative work behavior: The moderating effect of an innovative climate. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 30(18), 2661-2683. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2017.1380680
  • Brass, D. J. (2022). New developments in social network analysis. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 9, 225-246. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-012420-090628
  • Bruggeman, J. (2016). The strength of varying tie strength: Comment on Aral and Van Alstyne. American Journal of Sociology, 121(6), 1919-1930. https://doi.org/10.1086/686267
  • Bunderson, J. S., & Sutcliffe, K. M. (2003). Management team learning orientation and business unit performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(3), 552-560. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.3.552
  • Burt, R. S. (2001). Structural holes versus network closure as social capital. In N. Lin, K. Cook, & R. S. Burt (Eds.), Social capital: Theory and research (pp. 31-55). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315129457-2
  • Burt, R. S. (2021). Social network and creativity. In J. Zhou & M. G. Jones (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Creativity and Innovation. Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788977272.00014
  • Cangialosi, N., Odoardi, C., & Battistelli, A. (2020). Learning climate and innovative work behavior, the mediating role of the learning potential of the workplace. Vocations and Learning, 13(2), 263-280. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12186-019-09235-y
  • Cangialosi, N., Odoardi, C., & Battistelli, A. (2022). Problem-solving, learning through experimentation, and organizational tenure: A moderated mediation model of idea generation. Le Travail Humain, 85(1), 33-50. https://doi.org/10.3917/th.851.0033
  • Cangialosi, N., Odoardi, C., Battistelli, A., & Baldaccini, A. (2021). The social side of innovation: When and why advice network centrality promotes innovative work behaviours. Creativity and Innovation Management, 30(2), 336-347. https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12434
  • Carbonell, P., & Rodriguez Escudero, A. I. (2023). Boosting the confidence of new product development teams: The role of team boundary spanning, team size and functional diversity. Creativity and Innovation Management, 32(1), 100-116. https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12532
  • Cerasoli, C. P., Alliger, G. M., Donsbach, J. S., Mathieu, J. E., Tannenbaum, S. I., & Orvis, K. A. (2018). Antecedents and outcomes of informal learning behaviors: A meta-analysis. Journal of Business and Psychology, 33(2), 203-230. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-017-9492-y
  • Chattopadhyay, P., George, E., & Lawrence, S. A. (2004). Why does dissimilarity matter? Exploring self-categorization, self-enhancement, and uncertainty reduction. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89(5), 892-900. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.89.5.892
  • Cheung, S. Y., Gong, Y., Wang, M., Zhou, L., & Shi, J. (2016). When and how does functional diversity influence team innovation? The mediating role of knowledge sharing and the moderation role of affect-based trust in a team. Human Relations, 69(7), 1507-1531. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726715615684
  • Cohen, M. B., Gibbons, P. B., Mugridge, W. B., Colbourn, C. J., & Collofello, J. S. (2003, November). A variable strength interaction testing of components. Proceedings 27th Annual International Computer Software and Applications Conference. COMPAC 2003 (pp. 413-418). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/cmpsac.2003.1245373
  • Cross, R., Borgatti, S. P., & Parker, A. (2001). Beyond answers: Dimensions of the advice network. Social Networks, 23(3), 215-235. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-8733(01)00041-7
  • De Jong, J. P., & Den Hartog, D. N. (2007). How leaders influence employees’ innovative behaviour. European Journal of Innovation Management, 10(1), 41-64. https://doi.org/10.1108/14601060710720546
  • Deng, H., Coyle-Shapiro, J., & Yang, Q. (2018). Beyond reciprocity: A conservation of resources view on the effects of psychological contract violation on third parties. Journal of Applied Psychology, 103(5), 561-577. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000272
  • Di Vincenzo, F., & Iacopino, V. (2022). ‘Catching the new’: Exploring the impact of professional networks on innovative work behavior in healthcare. Creativity and Innovation Management, 31(1), 141-151. https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12476
  • Ding, H., & Yu, E. (2020). Follower strengths-based leadership and follower innovative behavior: The roles of core self-evaluations and psychological well-being. Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 36(2), 103-110. https://doi.org/10.5093/jwop2020a8
  • Ellis, A. P., Mai, K. M., & Christian, J. S. (2013). Examining the asymmetrical effects of goal faultlines in groups: A categorization-elaboration approach. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98(6), 948-961. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033725
  • Erdogan, B., Karaeminogullari, A., Bauer, T. N., & Ellis, A. M. (2020). Perceived overqualification at work: Implications for extra-role behaviors and advice network centrality. Journal of Management, 46(4), 583-606. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206318804331
  • Ganguly, A., Talukdar, A., & Chatterjee, D. (2019). Evaluating the role of social capital, tacit knowledge sharing, knowledge quality and reciprocity in determining innovation capability of an organization. Journal of Knowledge Management, 23(6), 1105-1135. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-03-2018-0190
  • Garlaschelli, D., & Loffredo, M. I. (2004). Patterns of link reciprocity in directed networks. Physical Review Letters, 93(26), Article 268701. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.93.268701
  • Gerken, M., Beausaert, S., & Segers, M. (2016). Working on professional development of faculty staff in higher education: Investigating the relationship between social informal learning activities and employability. Human Resource Development International, 19(2), 135-151. https://doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2015.1116241
  • Gibson, C., & Vermeulen, F. (2003). A healthy divide: Subgroups as a stimulus for team learning behavior. Administrative Science Quarterly, 48(2), 202-239. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.122653799
  • Girvan, M., & Newman, M. E. (2002). Community structure in social and biological networks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 99(12), 7821-7826.
  • Göbel, M., Vogel, R., & Weber, C. (2013). Management research on reciprocity: A review of the literature. Business Research, 6, 34-53. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03342741
  • Gong, Y., Kim, T. Y., & Liu, Z. (2020). Diversity of social ties and creativity: Creative self-efficacy as mediator and tie strength as moderator. Human Relations, 73(12), 1664-1688. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726719866001
  • Granovetter, M. S. (1973). The strength of weak ties. American Journal of Sociology, 78(6), 1360-1380. https://doi.org/10.1086/225469
  • Grosser, T. J., Venkataramani, V., & Labianca, G. J. (2017). An alter-centric perspective on employee innovation: The importance of alters’ creative self-efficacy and network structure. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(9), 1360-1374. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000220
  • Gupta, V., Singh, S., & Bhattacharya, A. (2017). The relationships between leadership, work engagement and employee innovative performance: Empirical evidence from the Indian R&D context. International Journal of Innovation Management, 21(07), Article 1750055. https://doi.org/10.1142/S1363919617500554
  • Hayes, A. F. (2015). An index and test of linear moderated mediation. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 50(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/00273171.2014.962683
  • Hayes, A. F. (2017). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. Guilford publications.
  • Hirst, G., Van Knippenberg, D., Zhou, J., Quintane, E., & Zhu, C. (2015). Heard it through the grapevine: Indirect networks and employee creativity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 100(2), 567-574. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/a0038333
  • Holman, D., Totterdell, P., Axtell, C., Stride, C., Port, R., Svensson, R., & Zibarras, L. (2012). Job design and the employee innovation process: The mediating role of learning strategies. Journal of Business and Psychology, 27(2), 177-191. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-011-9242-5
  • Ipe, M. (2003). Knowledge sharing in organizations: A conceptual framework. Human Resource Development Review, 2(4), 337-359. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484303257985
  • Janssen, O. (2004). How fairness perceptions make innovative behavior more or less stressful. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25(2), 201-215. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.238
  • Jen, C. T. (2014). Social ties, knowledge diversity and individual creativity. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 6(2), 110-124. https://doi.org/10.20462/tebs.2016.08.17.4.89
  • Koseoglu, G., & Shalley, C. E. (2021). Social networks and employee creativity. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Business and Management. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190224851.013.173
  • Lin, N. (1999). Building a network theory of social capital. Connections, 22(1), 28-51. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315129457-1
  • Majchrzak, A., Jarvenpaa, S. L., & Hollingshead, A. B. (2007). Coordinating expertise among emergent groups responding to disasters. Organization Science, 18(1), 147-161. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1060.0228
  • Mannucci, P. V., & Perry-Smith, J. E. (2022). “Who are you going to call?” Network activation in creative idea generation and elaboration. Academy of Management Journal, advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2019.0333
  • Matthews, R. A., Pineault, L., & Hong, Y. H. (2022). Normalizing the use of single-item measures: Validation of the single-item compendium for organizational psychology. Journal of Business and Psychology, 37(4), 639-673. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-022-09813-3
  • Messmann, G., & Mulder, R. H. (2012). Development of a measurement instrument for innovative work behaviour as a dynamic and context-bound construct. Human Resource Development International, 15(1), 43-59. https://doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2011.646894
  • Myers, C. G. (2021). Performance benefits of reciprocal vicarious learning in teams. Academy of Management Journal, 64(3), 926-947. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2018.0875
  • Nedkovski, V., & Guerci, M. (2021). When homophilous ties matter: social network brokerage and individuals’ innovative behavior. European Management Journal, 39(6), 755-767. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2021.01.012
  • Newman, M. (2010). Networks: An introduction. Oxford University Press.
  • Noefer, K., Stegmaier, R., Molter, B., & Sonntag, K. (2009). A great many things to do and not a minute to spare: Can feedback from supervisors moderate the relationship between skill variety, time pressure, and employees’ innovative behavior? Creativity Research Journal, 21(4), 384-393. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400410903297964
  • Odoardi, C., Battistelli, A., Montani, F., & Peiró, J. M. (2019). Affective commitment, participative leadership, and employee innovation: A multilevel investigation. Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 35(2), 103-113. https://doi.org/10.5093/jwop2019a12
  • Odoardi, C., Cangialosi, N., & Battistelli, A. (2022). HR training practices and innovative work behaviour: A moderated mediation model. International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management, 22(1-2), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJHRDM.2022.121320
  • Parker, A., Waldstrøm, C., & Shah, N. P. (2023). The coevolution of emotional job demands and work-based social ties and their effect on performance. Journal of Management, 49(5), 1601-1632. https://doi.org/10.1177/01492063221087636
  • Perry-Smith, J. E. (2006). Social yet creative: The role of social relationships in facilitating individual creativity. Academy of Management Journal, 49(1), 85-101. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2006.20785503
  • Perry-Smith, J. E., & Mannucci, P. V. (2017). From creativity to innovation: The social network drivers of the four phases of the idea journey. Academy of Management Review, 42(1), 53-79. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2014.0462
  • Perry-Smith, J. E., & Shalley, C. E. (2003). The social side of creativity: A static and dynamic social network perspective. Academy of Management Review, 28(1), 89-106. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2003.8925236
  • Phelps, C., Heidl, R., & Wadhwa, A. (2012). Knowledge, networks, and knowledge networks: A review and research agenda. Journal of Management, 38(4), 1115-1166. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206311432640
  • Post, C., De Lia, E., DiTomaso, N., Tirpak, T. M., & Borwankar, R. (2009). Capitalizing on thought diversity for innovation. Research-Technology Management, 52(6), 14-25. https://doi.org/10.1080/08956308.2009.11657596
  • Preacher, K. J., Rucker, D. D., & Hayes, A. F. (2007). Addressing moderated mediation hypotheses: Theory, methods, and prescriptions. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 42(1), 185-227. https://doi.org/10.1080/00273170701341316
  • Rodan, S., & Galunic, C. (2004). More than network structure: How knowledge heterogeneity influences managerial performance and innovativeness. Strategic Management Journal, 25(6), 541-562. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.398
  • Savelsbergh, C. M., van der Heijden, B. I., & Poell, R. F. (2009). The development and empirical validation of a multidimensional measurement instrument for team learning behaviors. Small Group Research, 40(5), 578-607. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046496409340055
  • Seijts, G. H., & Latham, G. P. (2012). Knowing when to set learning versus performance goals. Organizational Dynamics, 1(41), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2011.12.001
  • Shah, S. I., Afsar, B., & Shahjehan, A. (2020). Unique contextual conditions affecting coworker knowledge sharing and employee innovative work behaviors. Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 36(2), 125-134. https://doi.org/10.5093/jwop2020a12
  • Soda, G., Mannucci, P. V., & Burt, R. S. (2021). Networks, creativity, and time: staying creative through brokerage and network rejuvenation. Academy of Management Journal, 64(4), 1164-1190. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2019.1209
  • Su, X., Lin, W., Wu, J., Zheng, Q., Chen, X., & Jiang, X. (2021). Ethical leadership and knowledge sharing: the effects of positive reciprocity and moral efficacy. SAGE Open, 11(2). Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211021823
  • Tannenbaum, S. I., Beard, R. L., McNall, L. A., & Salas, E. (2010). Informal learning and development in organizations. In S. W. J. Kozlowski & E. Salas (Eds.), Learning, Training, and Development in Organizations (pp. 303-332). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203878385
  • Tannenbaum, S. I., & Wolfson, M. A. (2022). Informal (field-based) learning. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 9(1), 391-414. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-012420-083050
  • Van Ginkel, W. P., & Van Knippenberg, D. (2008). Group information elaboration and group decision making: The role of shared task representations. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 105(1), 82-97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2007.08.005
  • Van Knippenberg, D., & Schippers, M. C. (2007). Work group diversity. Annual Review of Psychology, 58, 515-541. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.58.110405.085546
  • Wang, S. (2015). Emotional intelligence, information elaboration, and performance: The moderating role of informational diversity. Small Group Research, 46(3), 324-351. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046496415578010
  • Wang, H., Rispens, S., & Demerouti, E. (2022). Boosting creativity in functional diverse work groups: The importance of help-seeking behavior and openness to experience. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 31(5), 768-780. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2022.2047937
  • Wolfson, M. A., Tannenbaum, S. I., Mathieu, J. E., & Maynard, M. T. (2018). A cross-level investigation of informal field-based learning and performance improvements. Journal of Applied Psychology, 103(1), 14-36. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000267
  • Xiao, T., Makhija, M., & Karim, S. (2022). A knowledge recombination perspective of innovation: review and new research directions. Journal of Management, 48(6), 1724-1777. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3912331
  • Zhang, Q., Ma, Z., Ye, L., Guo, M., & Liu, S. (2021). Future work self and employee creativity: The mediating role of informal field-based learning for high innovation performance. Sustainability, 13(3), Article 1352. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031352
  • Zhou, J., Shin, S. J., Brass, D. J., Choi, J., & Zhang, Z. X. (2009). Social networks, personal values, and creativity: Evidence for curvilinear and interaction effects. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94(6), 1544-1552. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016285
Fuente de los datos: Dialnet