The Role of Work Attachment as a Mediator of the Influence of Psychological Capital and Organizational Support on Employees' Innovative Behavior

Abstract

Background: Employee innovation is increasingly important for public organizations that must improve services while operating within procedural constraints. Objective: This study examined whether perceived organizational support (POS) and psychological capital (PsyCAP) explain innovative work behavior (IWB), and whether work engagement carries either effect. Methods: Survey data were obtained from 100 employees of the Technology and Information Data Center, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, using simple random sampling. Responses to a five-point Likert instrument were analyzed with PLS-SEM in SmartPLS 4. Measurement quality and structural paths were assessed, followed by bootstrap tests of direct and indirect effects. Results: PsyCAP was associated with IWB (β = 0.628; p = 0.001) and work engagement (β = 0.818; p < 0.001). POS predicted PsyCAP (β = 0.658; p < 0.001) but not IWB directly (β = -0.069; p = 0.265). Work engagement did not significantly predict IWB (β = 0.292; p = 0.070). The indirect POS-PsyCAP-IWB pathway was significant (β = 0.413; p = 0.006), whereas pathways ending through work engagement were not supported. Conclusion: The findings place PsyCAP, rather than engagement, as the principal psychological pathway linking organizational support with innovative behavior.