Proactive Personality and Innovative Work Behaviors: The mediating role of Knowledge Creation Ability

Abstract

The aim of this study was to understand the effect that proactive personality has on individuals’ knowledge creation ability and innovative work behaviors. This study proposed a model which assists in understanding the effects that proactive personality has on innovative work behaviors through individual knowledge creation. The results were based on data that was collected through a cross-sectional field survey. The data consisted of a diverse paired sample of employees and their supervisors (N=249) who belonged to various organizations in Pakistan. The results of the main effects regression revealed that proactive personality had a positive relationship with both knowledge creation ability and innovative work behaviors. To test the mediating hypothesis, mediating regression analysis was used which showed that individual knowledge creation ability mediated the link between proactive personality and innovative work behaviors. The results of the mediation were also confirmed through a Sobel test.  The study adds to the body of knowledge by investigating the antecedents and outcomes of knowledge creation ability. In addition, it uniquely contributes to the body of research by providing an underlying mechanism through which proactive personality predicts innovative work behavior. The topic of individual knowledge creation ability that has been overlooked previously by research has been elaborated in this study.