Title: Workplace spirituality and employees' readiness for change as precursors to innovative work behaviour: an empirical examination

Authors: Nimitha Aboobaker; K.A. Zakkariya; Manoj Edward

Addresses: School of Management Studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala, India ' School of Management Studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala, India ' School of Management Studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala, India

Abstract: Organisational performance and sustainability in the contemporary technological world is largely driven by the relentless change and continuous innovations brought about by employees. In this context, this paper investigates the relationship between workplace spirituality and innovative work behaviour, based on an empirical research conducted among 208 employees working in the information technology sector. The study also examined the mediating role of individual readiness for change in the aforementioned relationship. The three dimensions of workplace spirituality had varying influences on outcome variables. Employees with higher experiences of 'meaningful work' and 'alignment with organisational values' had higher readiness for change and innovative work behaviour. Findings of this study revealed no significant direct effect of 'sense of community' on innovative work behaviour of the employees. Nevertheless, 'sense of community' had an indirect effect on innovative work behaviour, through the mediating role of readiness to change. Implications for employees' experience of workplace spirituality and outcomes, so as to meet the challenges of a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) business environment are elaborated.

Keywords: alignment with organisational values; innovative work behaviour; job design; meaningful work; organisational culture; readiness for change; sense of community; teamwork; workplace spirituality.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIE.2022.119623

International Journal of Intelligent Enterprise, 2022 Vol.9 No.1, pp.6 - 23

Received: 14 May 2018
Accepted: 24 Mar 2019

Published online: 13 Dec 2021 *

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