Innovative Work Behavior as an Organizational Ecosystem: A Systematic Literature Review From Structural Origins to the Digital Era (1969–2026)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59890/ijma.v4i3.21Keywords:
Innovative Work Behavior, PRISMA, Systematic Literature Review.Abstract
This study aims to map the development of Innovative Work Behavior (IWB) research and identify the dominant themes and conceptual frameworks that explain the formation of IWB in modern organizations. Using a Systematic Literature Review based on the PRISMA 2020 framework, this study analyzed 61 articles published between 1969 and 2026. The findings show that IWB literature has evolved from early discussions of organizational structure and role innovation toward individual innovative behavior, leadership, organizational support, human resource practices, psychological mechanisms, and digital work contexts. The synthesis indicates that IWB is shaped by the interaction of individual, social, organizational, psychological, and digital factors. This study contributes by proposing an ecosystem perspective that positions IWB as a multidimensional organizational behavior supporting innovation and adaptability.
References
Afsar, B., & Umrani, W. (2019). Transformational leadership and innovative work behavior.
Afsar, B., Al-Ghazali, B., Cheema, S., & Javed, F. (2020). Cultural intelligence and innovative work behavior: The role of work engagement.
Agarwal, U. (2014). Examining the impact of social exchange relationships on innovative work behaviour.
Alabood, A., & Manakkattil, S. (2023). Workplace agility, intrinsic motivation, and role congruence antecedents of innovative work behavior.
AlEssa, H. S., & Durugbo, C. M. (2022). Systematic review of innovative work behavior concepts and contributions.
Al-Shami, S., Mamun, A., Rashid, N., & Cheong, C. (2023). Happiness at workplace on innovative work behaviour and organisation citizenship behavior.
Al-Taie, M., & Khattak, M. N. (2024). The impact of perceived organizational support and human resources practices on innovative work behavior: Does gender matter? Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1401916. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1401916
Alsudays, S. (2026). Innovating to lead: Impact of organizational socialization on innovative work behavior in fintech companies mediated by organization-based self-esteem. BMC Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-04018-2
Bammens, Y. (2016). Employees’ innovative behavior in social context: A closer examination of the role of organizational care.
Battistelli, A., Odoardi, C., Vandenberghe, C., Napoli, G., & Piccione, L. (2019). Information sharing and innovative work behavior: The role of work-based learning.
Botha, L., & Steyn, R. (2022). Employee voice and innovative work behaviour: Empirical evidence from South Africa.
Choi, W., Kang, S., & Choi, S. (2021). Innovative behavior in the workplace: An empirical study of moderated mediation model of self-efficacy, perceived organizational support, and leader-member exchange. Behavioral Sciences, 11(12), 182. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs11120182
Dayanti, P. (2024). Innovative work behavior on millennial and Generation Z: A literature review.
De Jong, J., & Den Hartog, D. (2010). Measuring innovative work behaviour. Creativity and Innovation Management, 19, 23-36. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8691.2010.00547.x
Ebrahim, Z., Ismail, I., & Kassim, E. (2023). A conceptual review of the determinants of employee innovative work behavior.
Ekmekcioglu, E., & Öner, K. (2023). Servant leadership, innovative work behavior and innovative organizational culture.
Essen, H., Leede, J., & Bondarouk, T. (2022). Innovation energy: The stimulus converting employees’ innovation properties into innovative work behavior.
Freeman, C. (1969). Review of The Management of Innovation, by T. Burns and G. M. Stalker. The Economic Journal, 79(314), 403-405. https://doi.org/10.2307/2230196
Gkontelos, A., Vaiopoulou, J., & Stamovlasis, D. (2022). Teachers’ Innovative Work Behavior Scale: Psychometric properties of the Greek version and measurement invariance across genders.
Hock-Doepgen, M., Montasser, J., Klein, S., Clauss, T., & Maalaoui, A. (2024). The role of innovative work behavior and organizational support for business model innovation.
Hull, F., & Hage, J. (1982). Organizing for innovation: Beyond Burns and Stalker’s organic type. Sociology, 16(4), 564-577. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038582016004006
Khan, M., Ismail, F., Hussain, A., & Alghazali, B. (2020). The interplay of leadership styles, innovative work behavior, organizational culture, and organizational citizenship behavior.
Kim, K. (2022). Supervisor leadership and subordinates’ innovative work behaviors: Creating a relational context for organizational sustainability. Sustainability, 14(6), 3230. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14063230
Lin, Q. (2023). Transformational leadership and innovative work behavior: The role of identification.
Lukeš, M., & Stephan, U. (2017). Measuring employee innovation: A review of existing scales and the development of the innovative behavior and innovation support inventories.
Messmann, G., & Mulder, R. (2012). Development of a measurement instrument for innovative work behaviour as a dynamic and context-bound construct.
Messmann, G., & Mulder, R. (2020). A short measure of innovative work behaviour as a dynamic, context-bound construct.
Miller, L. (2020). Innovative work behavior through high-quality leadership.
Montani, F., Vandenberghe, C., Khedhaouria, A., & Courcy, F. (2020). Examining the inverted U-shaped relationship between workload and innovative work behavior.
Muchiri, M., McMurray, A., Nkhoma, M., & Pham, H. (2019). Mapping antecedents of innovative work behavior: A conceptual review.
Oh, S., & Sabharwal, M. (2025). Fostering innovation at work: The synergy of transformational leadership, job autonomy, and innovative culture.
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., et al. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Parnitvitidkun, P., Ponchaitiwat, K., Chancharat, N., & Thoumrungroje, A. (2024). Understanding IT professional innovative work behavior in the workplace: A sequential mixed-methods study.
Parveen, S. S., & Reddy, A. V. (2024). Unravelling the concept of innovative work behavior: A critical review.
Saether, E. (2019). Motivational antecedents to high-tech R&D employees’ innovative work behavior: Self-determined motivation.
Salam, S., & Senin, A. (2022). A bibliometric study on innovative behavior literature.
Scott, S., & Bruce, R. (1994). Determinants of innovative behavior: A path model of individual innovation in the workplace. Academy of Management Journal, 37, 580-607. https://doi.org/10.5465/256701
Shanker, R., Bhanugopan, R., Heijden, B., & Farrell, M. (2017). Organizational climate for innovation and organizational performance: The mediating effect of innovative work behavior.
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333-339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039
Srirahayu, D., Ekowati, D., & Sridadi, A. (2023). Innovative work behavior in public organizations: A systematic literature review.
Sumual, T., Sumual, S., Setyaningsih, S., Kalalo, D., Lolong, R., & Koessoy, H. (2023). Innovation work behavior: New model to successful organization.
Theurer, C., Tumasjan, A., & Welpe, I. (2018). Contextual work design and employee innovative work behavior: When does autonomy matter?
Thneibat, M. (2026). The role of human resource management practices in promoting employees’ innovative work behavior: The mediating effect of meaningful work. International Journal of Innovation Science. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijis-07-2025-0351
Tranfield, D., Denyer, D., & Smart, P. (2003). Towards a methodology for developing evidence-informed management knowledge by means of systematic review. British Journal of Management, 14(3), 207-222. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.00375
Ullah, I., Hameed, R., & Mahmood, A. (2023). The impact of proactive personality and psychological capital on innovative work behavior.
Veloso, A., Roque, H., Ferreira, A., & Gomes, J. (2021). Psychometric characteristics of an adapted measure of innovative behavior at work.
Volery, T., & Tarabashkina, L. (2021). The impact of organisational support, employee creativity and work centrality on innovative work behaviour.
West, M. (1987a). Role innovation in the world of work. British Journal of Social Psychology, 26, 305-315. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8309.1987.tb00793.x
West, M. (1987b). A measure of role innovation at work. British Journal of Social Psychology, 26, 83-85. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8309.1987.tb00764.x
Woodman, R. W., Sawyer, J. E., & Griffin, R. W. (1993). Toward a theory of organizational creativity. The Academy of Management Review, 18(2), 293-321. https://doi.org/10.2307/258761
Woods, S., Mustafa, M., Anderson, N., & Sayer, B. (2017). Innovative work behavior and personality traits: Examining the moderating effects of tenure.
Xiao, F., Lin, Y., Kuang, J., Yang, L., & Wang, Q. (2025). How and when servant leadership affects public employees’ innovative behavior.
Yen, T., Minh, C., Diep, N., & Long, K. (2025). The impact of individual and organizational factors on employee innovative work behavior.
Yuan, F., & Woodman, R. (2010). Innovative behavior in the workplace: The role of performance and image outcome expectations.
Zahra, N., Manthar, S., & Anwar, R. (2026). Innovative work behaviors in the digital age: The influence of organizational structures and processes. Transformations and Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.63775/gncn5x84
Zhou, Y., Yusof, R., Thurasamy, R., Li, X., Zhang, P., & Ling, S. (2026). How organizational justice shapes innovative work behavior: Work engagement as mediator and authentic leadership as moderator in China’s ICT sector. Acta Psychologica, 262, 106167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.106167
Zhu, D., Lin, M., Thawornlamlert, P., Subedi, S., & Kim, P. (2023). The antecedents of employees’ innovative behavior in hospitality and tourism contexts.




