HR systems and leadership attachment styles as predictors of employee creativity and innovation: An experiment and a multilevel multisource study

S. Batistič, R. Kenda, M. Premru, M. Cerne

Research output: Contribution to conferenceAbstractScientificpeer-review

Abstract

Purpose
To test the direct and interactive influence of leadership attachment styles (secure, anxious, avoidant) and HR systems (compliance, commitment) on two distinct stages of the micro-innovation process—creativity and innovation.

Design/Methodology/Approach/Interventions
An experiment (n = 163) where we manipulated HR systems and leadership attachment styles with vignettes, and a multisource (supervisors, HR managers and employees) field study in three EU-based private firms (n = 217).

Results
Experimental results established the direct influence of a compliance HR system on both creativity and innovation and a positive effect of secure attachment on innovation. The interplay between attachment and HR system marginally predicted creativity under the commitment HR system and avoidant attachment, and it significantly predicted innovation under the commitment HR system and either secure or anxious attachment. The field study replicated the direct role of commitment HR in stimulating innovation (but not creativity), and pointed toward a more important role of leadership
attachment.

Limitations
External validity of the experiment, cross-sectional design of field study.

Research/Practical Implications
To the literatures on leadership (the context of leadership attachment), strategic HR (a multi-level view linking HR systems with leadership attachment to portray a holistic picture of the context of micro-innovation at work) and creativity/innovation (by delineating between these two stages).

Originality/Value
Showing that particular types of social-contextual conditions (i.e., interactions between leadership attachment styles and types of HR systems) are beneficial for one aspect of the individual innovation processes (e.g., idea generation), and different conditions are favorable for stimulating other aspects (e.g., idea implementation)
Original languageEnglish
Pages1093-1093
Publication statusAccepted/In press - 2019
EventEAWOP congres - Turijn, Italy
Duration: 30 May 201930 May 2019

Conference

ConferenceEAWOP congres
Country/TerritoryItaly
CityTurijn
Period30/05/1930/05/19

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