Job design, work engagement and innovative work behavior: a multi–level study on Karasek's learning hypothesis

Abstract

As employees behaviour is a crucial factor for organizational success, the question on how to promote the engagement of employees in their work and boost their implication in the innovation process is central for companies. In this article we study this question building on the Karasek model suggesting that employees in jobs with high autonomy and time pressure will be more engaged and more innovative. The results of the multi–level regression analyses confirm that such a combination is associated with high employee innovation. For work engagement, the job autonomy helps in buffering the negative effects of time pressure.