The Effect of Employee Experience on Innovative Behavior Mediated by Psychological Empowerment: A Study of Chinese Employees

This study investigates the impact of employee experience (EX) on innovative behavior, with a particular focus on the mediating role of psychological empowerment. Data was collected from 450 employees across various industries in eight major cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. The survey employed a five-point Likert scale to measure employee experience across three dimensions: physical environment, cultural environment, and technological environment. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. The results indicate that the three dimensions of Employee Experience (physical environment, cultural environment, and technological environment) have both direct and indirect effects on innovative behavior through Psychological Empowerment. First, each dimension of Employee Experience was found to have a significant positive impact on innovative behavior. Specifically, improvements in physical, cultural, and technological environments lead to more innovative behavior among employees. Second, Psychological Empowerment positively influences innovative behavior and mediates the relationship between Employee Experience and innovative behavior. More specifically, Psychological Empowerment partially mediates the relationship between the physical and cultural environments of Employee Experience and innovative behavior. This suggests that when employees work in a pleasant environment and feel a sense of belonging to the organizational culture, their Psychological Empowerment increases, leading them to engage more actively in innovative behavior. Third, the technological environment does not have a significant impact on Psychological Empowerment. This result indicates that simply introducing the latest technology may not enhance employees' Psychological Empowerment, highlighting the need for training and support systems to effectively utilize technology. This study underscores the importance of Employee Experience in understanding employee behavior, particularly innovative behavior. By examining the sub-dimensions of Employee Experience, the study extends existing research on the relationship between Psychological Empowerment and innovative behavior, providing a deeper understanding of their interactions. It demonstrates that improving Employee Experience can promote innovative behavior. The study also discusses its limitations and suggests directions for future research.