Kuo, CC, Ni, YL, Wu, C-H orcid.org/0000-0002-8011-6323 et al. (3 more authors) (2022) When can felt accountability promote innovative work behavior? The role of transformational leadership. Personnel Review, 51 (7). pp. 1807-1822. ISSN 0048-3486
Abstract
Purpose
Studies have reported negative effects of felt accountability on employees' extra-role behavior. Deviating from that focus, this study proposes that leadership plays a role in shaping the implications of felt accountability for employees' extra-role behavior. We propose that under high transformational leadership, felt accountability can motivate employees to engage in task-relevant information elaboration and facilitate innovative work behavior, a form of extra-role behavior that seeks to improve the work environment.
Design/methodology/approach
We conducted a pilot study to validate measurements of felt accountability and task-relevant information elaboration in a sample of 202 employees. We then conducted the main study using a time-lagged, multisource survey design with a sample of 120 supervisor–employee pairs.
Findings
The results from the main study reveal that the association between felt accountability and task-related information elaboration is positive and stronger when transformational leadership is higher. Furthermore, task-relevant information elaboration positively predicts innovative work behavior. Finally, when transformational leadership is higher, the mediation effect of task-relevant information elaboration on the association between felt accountability and innovative work behavior is stronger.
Originality/value
Our study indicates that felt accountability can have positive implications for employees' extra-role behavior contingent on leadership styles. In contrast to previous studies that emphasize the negative implications of felt accountability on employees' behavior, our study depicts when and why felt accountability can have positive implications on employees' behavior.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited. This is an author produced version of an article accepted for publication in Personnel Review. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | felt accountability, information elaboration, transformational leadership, innovation |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Business (Leeds) > Management Division (LUBS) (Leeds) > Management Division Organizational Behaviour (LUBS) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 06 Jul 2021 11:41 |
Last Modified: | 09 Mar 2023 04:19 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Emerald |
Identification Number: | 10.1108/PR-03-2021-0174 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:175849 |