The Influence of Proactive Personality on Innovative Work Behaviour in Hybrid Work Environment

Abstract There is a strategic need for organisations to design hybrid work environments in a way that promotes innovative behaviours in an increasingly prevalent hybrid work environment. Therefore, understanding how individual and hybrid work environment factors interplay on influencing innovations is critical. This research aims to investigate the influence of Proactive Personality (PP) on employee Innovative Work Behaviour (IWB) and to examine how Hybrid Work Characteristics (HWC) and Psychological Ownership (PO) and its dimensions moderate and mediate this relationship within hybrid work settings. Structured online survey data is obtained from employees working in hybrid settings across various industries for the quantitative study. The findings reveal that PP positively and significantly predicts IWB, with a stronger influence observed in hybrid settings compared to traditional on-site environments. It was found that PO and its dimensions mediated the PP-IWB relationship. Conversely, no significant moderation effects of HWC attributes were identified. These results expand the understanding of PO’s multidimensional role, raise justified concerns about the applicability of individual HWC attributes in fostering innovation and highlight the importance of balancing autonomy and flexibility with fostering a sense of ownership in hybrid work environments.