The role of organizational citizenship behavior toward individuals in linking training to innovation in healthcare: moderating role of person–organization fit and working hours

Purpose Healthcare innovation relies on more than just expertise in technical matters, but also requisite relational behavior that enables cooperation and collaboration. This study aims to investigate the effects of both content-related and context-related training on employees’ innovative work behavior (IWB) through organizational citizenship behavior toward individuals (OCBI), as well as the moderating roles of person–organization fit (PoFit) and weekly working hours. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on a survey carried out among 262 employees (nurses, doctors, health staff) working in private hospitals located in Sulaimania city, Kurdistan. The hypothesized model has been examined using structural equation modeling and moderation analyses. Findings It has been found that the effect of content-based training directly affects healthcare employees’ IWB, context-based training indirectly enhances healthcare employees’ IWB through OCBI. Moreover, PoFit serves as a strong moderator, in that the effect of content-based training on OCBI is significant only at high level of PoFit. Research limitations/implications Limitations include the single-region sample and cross-sectional design; future research should explore longitudinal effects and additional moderators such as leadership style. Practical implications Practical implications include tailoring technical and relational training to improve innovative outcomes in resource-constrained hospital settings. Originality/value These findings highlight dual training pathways to innovation and emphasize the role of fit and time as boundary conditions.