Unveiling Innovative Work Behavior among Academicians in Open Online Flexible Distance Learning Higher Education Institutions

Academicians in higher education institutions play an increasingly important role in driving innovation and progress as online learning platforms advance and the fourth industrial revolution emerges.Fostering a culture of innovative work behavior is essential for these institutions to stay at the forefront of their respective fields.When academicians engage in innovative work behaviors, such as adapting to changing environments, generating new ideas, and experimenting with novel approaches, they can help to advance knowledge, improve educational quality, and better prepare students to face future challenges.The purpose of this research is to assess the direct and indirect relationships between psychological empowerment, job autonomy, organizational support, and work innovative behavior across Malaysian open online flexible distance learning higher education institutions, with selfefficacy serving as a mediating factor.The Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) will be used as an underpinning theory in this study.The survey questionnaires have been disseminated through email using purposive sampling, with a total of 320 valid responses.The collected data have been analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) methods, utilising SPSS 23 and SmartPLS 4 software.The study endeavours to offer a comprehensive understanding of the interaction between these variables and their impact on innovative work behaviour by utilising the Social Cognitive Theory as the foundational framework.Ultimately, this will provide insights into the development of an environment that fosters self-efficacy and innovative work behaviour in Malaysian open online flexible distance learning higher education institutions.