Individual factors and innovative work behaviours: the influence of organisational culture.

This study explores how individual factors—both stable traits (education) and more dynamic states (job satisfaction)—interact with organisational culture (individualism vs. collectivism) to influence Innovative Work Behaviours (IWBs). Drawing on the Interactionist Approach to Organisational Creativity, we propose and test a theoretical model using survey data from 200 employees across fifteen Italian organisations. The moderated model is analysed using SPSS PROCESS regression. Results show that education and job satisfaction both positively predict IWBs. Moreover, the effect of job satisfaction on IWBs varies depending on the type and level of organisational culture. Our findings offer two main contributions for research and practice. First, they suggest that contextual factors, such as organisational culture, significantly shape the influence of proximal individual variables like job satisfaction, while exerting minimal influence on more stable traits such as education. Second, they point to a more nuanced and multifaceted role of organisational culture than traditionally acknowledged in the literature. Specifically, collectivism appears to act as lever that amplify or reshape individual-level processes related to innovation under certain conditions. These insights provide practical guidance for organisations seeking to foster IWBs by aligning cultural values with employee motivations and experiences.