european journal of social sciences issn: 1450-2267 - EuroJournals

European Journal of Social Sciences – Volume 5, Number 3 (2007)
Determinant of Innovative Behavior in the Workplace: A Case
Study of a Malaysian Public Sector Organisation
Indra Devi Subramaniam
Faculty of Management, Multimedia University, Malaysia
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between selected predictor
variables and innovative behavior in the workplace. The predictor variables are leadermember
relationship, leader role expectation, demographic variables and problem-solving
style. The study was also carried out to determine whether there was a direct relationship
between these predictor variables and innovative behavior or whether the psychological
climate for innovation mediated between the predictor variables and innovative behavior.
The respondents for this study were 79 teacher educators. A questionnaire was used to
collect data. The findings of the study showed that only leader-member exchange
correlated significantly with support for innovation. Leader-member exchange, leader role
expectation and intuitive problem solving style correlated significantly with individual's
perception of adequacy of resource supply for innovation. Leader-member exchange is the
only variable that correlated significantly with psychological climate for innovation. There
was significant relationship between psychological climate and innovative behavior.
Leader-member exchange, leader-role expectation, systematic problem-solving style and
intuitive problem-solving style correlated significantly with innovative behavior. Among
the conclusion that can be made from this study is that psychological climate for
innovation is influenced by leader-member exchange. Support for innovation without
resource supply will not result in innovative behavior.
Keywords: Psychological climate for innovation, leader member exchange, leader role
expectation, problem-solving style
Introduction
Teachers are faced with unprecedented challenges in the new millennium. They have been charged
with building the human capital of the nation equipped with skills for the k-economy. This they are
expected to do by encouraging in their students acquisition of knowledge and key skills for the new
information society and emphasizing creativity and imagination. Teachers can only achieve this by
providing a challenging and rewarding experience for all students. This cannot be achieved without
innovation in teaching and learning.
Innovation requires creation of new knowledge. This knowledge creation process involves
tapping the tacit and often subjective insights, intuitions and hunches of individual teachers and testing
them through the research process. Ideally based on the findings of the research, a prototype of a
product can be made. The product in this case can be a new teaching method. This then represents an
innovation in the teaching learning process and can be implemented in the classroom. However in
reality this is seldom the case. In most cases the teacher researchers do not go beyond stating the
findings of the research and statements of how the new knowledge can improve practice. What is then
impeding these teachers from implementing these innovation in their classroom?
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