Navigating the conduciveness of the internal work environment for creativity and innovation

Abstract

Orientation: Employee-driven innovation (EDI) and creativity are critical for organisational performance. However, organisations’ innovative ability depends on conducive work environments that promote and support innovative behaviours.
Research purpose: To identify factors critical to a conducive work environment for promoting employee innovation and creativity.
Motivation for the study: The lack of EDI and creativity is forcing organisations to review the conduciveness of work environments for innovation.
Research design, approach and method: A quantitative, cross-sectional research approach was employed to collect and analyse data from 4206 permanent academic and administrative employees of all ethnicities and genders at the institution. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to determine work environment factors influencing employee innovation and creativity.
Main findings: The EFA identified a five-construct factor model for the internal work environment: culture, mechanism, opportunity, risk-taking tolerance and dedication. The measurement scale is reliable and valid for measuring the internal work environment linked to EDI and creativity at an open-distance higher education institution.
Practical/managerial implications: Educational institutions may use the measurement instrument to assess the conduciveness of the internal environment and develop strategies to promote EDI and creativity.
Contribution/value-add: This study shows that innovation and creativity are not the result of individual characteristics only but depend largely on the conduciveness of the work environment.