Personal Initiative, Passive‐Avoidant Leadership and Support for Innovation as Antecedents of Nurses’ Idea Generation and Idea Implementation

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to explore the role of individual (work engagement, personal initiative), group (transformational, transactional, passive‐avoidant leadership) and organisational factors (support for innovation climate) in fostering the two components of nurses’ innovative behaviours, idea generation and idea implementation.Design and MethodA cross‐sectional study was conducted in an Italian public hospital, in two departments that had been created by merging other departments. A self‐report questionnaire was completed by 118 nurses. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses.FindingsRespondents reported a high frequency of idea generation followed by idea implementation. Personal initiative and passive‐avoidant leadership were significantly and positively related to nurses’ idea generation and idea implementation. Support for innovation was positively related to idea implementation. Transactional and transformational leadership did not show any relationships with the two innovative work behaviours.ConclusionsThis study shows that nurses’ innovative work behaviour is a complex and multi determined behaviour, influenced by individual, group, and organisational factors. It also shows that low levels of passive‐avoidant leadership may contribute to innovation.Clinical RelevanceHealthcare policies and strategies are needed to support a leadership style that allows space for autonomy, and that, together with support for innovation and personal initiative, facilitates nurses’ idea generation and idea implementation.

Digitization in Everyday Nursing Care: A Vignette Study in German Hospitals

“…Without features such as efficiency and structure, the daily work routine becomes chaotic. Nursing leaders must focus on these factors in order to reduce the burden experienced by their staff and support their commitment and willingness to learn, especially in current pandemic times, and to face constant changes and innovations [ 39 , 60 , 61 ].…”

“…Our results affirm that nursing staff generally display a high willingness to use technology. Products that seem unrealistic and unknown should find ways into everyday practice so that health professionals become familiar with them [ 1 , 25 , 61 ]. As numerous digitization projects have been and are still being launched, rigorous implementation research might offer further insights into the success factors.…”

Digitization in Everyday Nursing Care: A Vignette Study in German Hospitals

“…Without features such as efficiency and structure, the daily work routine becomes chaotic. Leaders in hospital nursing must focus on these factors in order to reduce the burden experienced by their staff and support their commitment and willingness to learn, especially in current pandemic times and to face constant changes and innovations (3,45,46).…”

Can patient gratitude expression boost innovative performance? The role of work meaningfulness and supervisory support

“…First, we extend the antecedents of nurses’ innovative performance, by shifting the perspective of improving nurse innovation from the inside to the outside of the organization and focusing on the interpersonal cues of nurses. Previous studies have explored personal characteristics (e.g., Yan et al, 2020 ; Zappala et al, 2021 ) and contextual factors within the organization as antecedents of nurses’ innovative performance, such as task contexts (e.g., Sonmez and Yildirim, 2019 ), leadership (e.g., Weng et al, 2015 ; Bagheri and Akbari, 2018 ) and organizational climate ( Joseph, 2015 ), overlooking factor of interpersonal triggers outside of the organization. In fact, the literature on innovation suggested that future research should pay attention to actors outside of the organization ( Anderson et al, 2014 ).…”

“…Numerous studies have explored the antecedents of nurse innovation, including individual factors such as personality ( Zappala et al, 2021 ) and psychological capital ( Yan et al, 2020 ), task-related factors such as autonomy ( Sonmez and Yildirim, 2019 ), and contextual factors like leadership and innovation climate ( Bagheri and Akbari, 2018 ). Nevertheless, limited attention was given to the interpersonal triggers, such as patient-nurse relationship.…”