Employees’ perception of lean management maturity and its impact on their innovative behaviours

Purpose Employees’ innovative behaviour enables businesses to stay competitive. Therefore, this research aims to examine the relationship between employees’ perception of lean management maturity (people and culture element) and their innovative behaviours moderated by years of experience. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative approach is undertaken. A questionnaire was applied to 142 samples from Petroleum Development Oman, Daleel Petroleum and the Ministry of Education. Statistical Package for Social Science, SmartPLS and PROCESS macro by Hayes were used to analyse data. Findings The results show non-significant relationship between the continuous improvement program (CIP), the implementation of methods, multi-skilled competencies/training plans on one hand and the employee’s innovative behaviour on the other. However, continuous improvement (CI) cultural development and leadership development demonstrate a positive significant relationship with employees' innovative behaviour. Findings also confirm a positive significant moderating effect for years of experience on CIP and employee’s innovative behaviour, whereas experience does not show any significant moderating effect on the relationship between other elements of people and culture and employee’s innovative behaviour. Originality/value This study is unique for it is one of the first to address the relationship between employees’ perception of lean management maturity (people and culture element) and their innovative behaviours moderated by years of experience. Moreover, no other study in the reviewed literature used the social exchange theory and the resource-based theory to explain the indicated relationship.