Impact of internal environment on innovative work behaviour: moderating role of gender

Purpose This study aims to investigate the relationship between internal environment of the Indian service sector organisations and innovative work behaviour of their employees. Additionally, it examines the influence of gender of the employees on this relationship. Design/methodology/approach Based on responses collected from 612 Indian service sector employees, the study examines the impact of the factors constituting internal environment, namely, management support (MS), work discretion/ autonomy (WD), rewards (R), time availability (TA) and organisational boundaries (OB) on their innovative work behaviour (IWB). Structural equation modelling has been used to study this relationship. To study the moderating role of gender, multi-group analysis has been used. Findings The results show that all the factors constituting the internal environment significantly predict innovative work behaviour. The moderating effect of gender is found with regard to the impact of management support, work discretion and time availability on innovative work behaviour. However, no moderating effect is seen regarding the impact of rewards and organisational boundaries on innovative work behaviour. Practical implications This study assists managers in understanding the factors which are the facilitators and inhibitors of innovative work behaviour among employees. It also aids them in tailoring their approaches towards male and female employees to increase their involvement in innovative activities. Originality/value The study offers insights into how gender diversity among employees affects the relation between the factors constituting the internal environment of their organisations and their innovative behaviour.