How Does Commitment Affect Employee's Innovative Behavior? A Time-Lagged Study

The employee's innovative behavior plays an important role in the process of hotel operation. The purpose of this study was to examine the mechanisms by which hotel industry employees' commitment affects innovative behavior, examining the mediating role of job involvement and the moderating role of superior-subordinate guanxi (SSG). The study collected 127 hotel supervisors' questionnaires and 694 hotel employees' questionnaires from Shandong Province. Results show that employees' organizational and supervisor commitments would affect their innovative behavior, whereas job involvement plays as a mediating role. Moreover, SSG present a moderating effect onto employees' job involvement and innovative behavior. Employees with high SSG show a better innovative behavior on low job involvement than those with low SSG on a high job involvement. Our research has enriched and expanded the study of innovative behavior and SSG, and is an important guide for managers in the hospitality industry. Plain Language Summary: Employees' commitment and innovative behavior Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the mechanisms by which hotel industry employees' commitment affects innovative behavior, examining the mediating role of job involvement and the moderating role of superior-subordinate guanxi (SSG). Methods: The study collected 127 hotel supervisors' questionnaires and 694 hotel employees' questionnaires from Shandong Province. Conclusions: Results show that employees' organizational and supervisor commitments would affect their innovative behavior, whereas job involvement plays as a mediating role. Moreover, SSG present a moderating effect onto employees' job involvement and innovative behavior. Employees with high SSG show a better innovative behavior on low job involvement than those with low SSG on a high job involvement. Implications: Our research has enriched and expanded the study of innovative behavior and SSG, and is an important guide for managers in the hospitality industry. Limitations: Our study is still essentially a correlational study and there is still a potential common method bias.