Article: Building innovative employees: the influence of psychological safety, psychological capital, and intrinsic motivation in the banking sector Journal: International Journal of Economics and Business Research (IJEBR) 2026 Vol.30 No.6 pp.84 - 103 Abstract: This study examines how psychological safety and psychological capital influence innovative work behaviour among commercial bank employees in Ho Chi Minh City, with intrinsic motivation positioned as an internal motivational mechanism. It addresses the limited evidence on employee innovative behaviour in the Vietnamese banking sector. A mixed-method design was employed. Measurement scales were refined through expert consultation and pilot testing, and 305 valid questionnaires from employees of state-owned and private commercial banks were analysed. The proposed relationships were tested using PLS-SEM with a two-stage approach because psychological capital was modelled as a higher-order construct comprising self-efficacy, hope, resilience, and optimism. The results indicate that psychological safety positively affects psychological capital and innovative work behaviour. Psychological capital positively influences intrinsic motivation and innovative work behaviour, while intrinsic motivation also has a positive effect on innovative work behaviour. In addition, psychological capital and the sequential path through psychological capital and intrinsic motivation jointly mediate the relationship between psychological safety and innovative work behaviour. This study provides a more integrated explanation of innovative work behaviour in banking and extends evidence from an under-researched emerging-market context, offering practical insights for fostering psychologically safe and motivating work environments in Vietnamese banks. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Building innovative employees: the influence of psychological safety, psychological capital, and intrinsic motivation in the banking sector

Authors: Trung Thanh Ngo; Tam Thanh Thi Nguyen; Phan Thu Hang Nguyen; Tu Ngoc Tran

Addresses: Ho Chi Minh City Open University, 97 Vo Van Tan Street, Xuan Hoa Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Vietnam ' Saigon University, 273 An Duong Vuong, Cho Quan Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Vietnam ' Saigon University, 273 An Duong Vuong, Cho Quan Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Vietnam ' Saigon University, 273 An Duong Vuong, Cho Quan Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Vietnam

Abstract: This study examines how psychological safety and psychological capital influence innovative work behaviour among commercial bank employees in Ho Chi Minh City, with intrinsic motivation positioned as an internal motivational mechanism. It addresses the limited evidence on employee innovative behaviour in the Vietnamese banking sector. A mixed-method design was employed. Measurement scales were refined through expert consultation and pilot testing, and 305 valid questionnaires from employees of state-owned and private commercial banks were analysed. The proposed relationships were tested using PLS-SEM with a two-stage approach because psychological capital was modelled as a higher-order construct comprising self-efficacy, hope, resilience, and optimism. The results indicate that psychological safety positively affects psychological capital and innovative work behaviour. Psychological capital positively influences intrinsic motivation and innovative work behaviour, while intrinsic motivation also has a positive effect on innovative work behaviour. In addition, psychological capital and the sequential path through psychological capital and intrinsic motivation jointly mediate the relationship between psychological safety and innovative work behaviour. This study provides a more integrated explanation of innovative work behaviour in banking and extends evidence from an under-researched emerging-market context, offering practical insights for fostering psychologically safe and motivating work environments in Vietnamese banks.

Keywords: psychological safety; psychological capital; intrinsic motivation; innovative work behaviour; IWB; Vietnamese banking sector.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEBR.2026.154084

International Journal of Economics and Business Research, 2026 Vol.30 No.6, pp.84 - 103

Received: 14 Feb 2026
Accepted: 12 Apr 2026
Published online: 11 Jun 2026 *

Title: Building innovative employees: the influence of psychological safety, psychological capital, and intrinsic motivation in the banking sector

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