High-Performance Work Systems and Employees’ Innovative Work Behaviour: An Empirical Investigation Based on Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Theory

The drivers of individual-level innovation remain an underresearched area. Based on JD-R theory, we argue that (a) high-performance work systems (HPWS) enhance employees’ innovative work behaviours (IWB) through an increase in employees’ work engagement, and (b) that the positive relationship between HPWS and work engagement will be magnified at high levels of work overload. We collected data from 313 supervisor-subordinate dyads in an engineering R&D organization in India. Structural equation modelling results supported all the hypotheses except the moderation hypotheses. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed, and we also suggest a few avenues for future research.