From innovation self-efficacy to innovative work behavior: a job crafting perspective

Abstract

Drawing on job crafting theory and the job demands–resources (JD-R) framework, this study examines how innovation self-efficacy translates into employee innovative work behavior through three distinct forms of proactive work redesign: task, cognitive, and relational crafting. The research aims to clarify the behavioral mechanisms that convert personal capability beliefs into enacted innovation within the under-researched context of operational manufacturing in an emerging market. A quantitative, survey-based research design was deployed with a sample of 350 employees from small and medium textile manufacturing firms in Lima, Peru. Data were analyzed using variance-based Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), with SmartPLS 4 to evaluate the hypothesized direct and indirect effects within a single predictive framework. The results indicate that innovation self-efficacy is positively associated with task (β = 0.805), cognitive (β = 0.740), and relational crafting (β = 0.639). In turn, these crafting behaviors significantly predict innovative work behavior, with task crafting exhibiting the strongest positive association (β = 0.401). The structural model accounts for 72.3% of the variance in innovative work behavior (R2 = 0.723). The findings offer evidence-based levers for HR managers in high-pressure production settings. To sustain innovation, organizations should move beyond top-down mandates and instead focus on strengthening employees’ innovation self-efficacy while legitimizing “controlled autonomy” for task redesign. Additionally, investing in relational infrastructure, such as peer mentoring, is essential to mobilize the social resources required for idea implementation. This study contributes to the job crafting and JD-R literature by providing empirical evidence on how the three classical dimensions of job crafting operate as specific mediators between innovation self-efficacy and innovative work behavior within an emerging market manufacturing context. By examining these pathways in SME operational settings, the paper offers a context-specific perspective on the predictive role of proactive work redesign in non-Western production environments.