Exploring the Social Processes of Innovative Work Behavior: A Social Network Analysis

• In Event: 58.082 - Roundtable Session 25
  In Roundtable Session: 58.082-11 - Roundtable Session: Methods and Measures

Abstract

Employees at all levels need to contribute to the generation, promotion, and realization of innovative ideas (innovative work behavior, IWB). While it has been argued that IWB contains a substantial sociopolitical dimension, the social processes at work during the generation, promotion, and realization of innovative ideas have received little attention. We investigate 1,038 relationships between employees of five organizations using social network analysis. After analyzing each network on its own, we combine the results in a meta-analysis. This contributes to the literature by emphasizing the social side of IWB. Based on this insight, attention can then be drawn to factors which play a role in the decision to engage in social interactions during processes of innovation development.

Authors

• Dominik Emanuel Froehlich, University of Vienna

• Gerhard Messmann, University of Regensburg