Dr. Raphael Sotonye Uranta, I. Zeb-Obipi. "Worker Empowerment and Innovative Work Behaviour in Multinational Oil and Gas Companies in Port Harcourt, Nigeria" International Research Journal of Economics and Management Studies, Vol. 3, No. 6, pp. 307-316, 2024.
This paper examined the relationship between worker empowerment, using proxies as structural and psychological empowerment and innovative work behaviours of employees. The sample size of 60 workers from three (3) major multinational oil and gas companies in Port Harcourt. A purposive sampling technique was adopted in sampling the companies, and the workers were randomly sampled. Kendall’s tau-b test statistic was used in analyzing the collected data through the distribution of a structured questionnaire. The study infers that both structural and psychological empowerment will prompt an increase in employees’ problem-solving skills and creativity, respectively. Following this finding, it was recommended that multinational oil companies in Port Harcourt should adopt a system that will properly empower workers both structurally and psychologically (through effective communication, encouraging worker development, worker participation in decision-making and delegation of authority) so as to attain the desired innovative work behaviours in an organization.
[1] Abazou, R. (2016). How to improve your problem solving skills. Retrieved from httop://www.top.univerities.com.
[2] Akinboye, J. O. (2004). Creativity of innovation success. Ibadan: University Press.
[3] Al-Husseini, S., & Elbeltagi, I. (2015). Knowledge sharing practices as a basis of product innovation: A case of higher education in Iraq. International
Journal of Social Science and Humanity, 5(2), 182-185.
[4] Al-Madadha, A. and Koufopoulos, D. N. (2014). Linking an integrated approach of empowerment to employee creativity. European Scientific Journal,
2, 1857-7881.
[5] Amabile, T. M., Barsade, S. G., Mueller, J. S., & Staw, B. M. (2005). Affect and creativity at work. Administrative Science Quarterly, 50(3), 367-403.
[6] Amabile, T. M., Conti, R., Coon, H., Lazenby, J., & Herron, M. (1996). Assessing the work environment for creativity. Academy of Management
Journal, 39(5) 1154-1184.
[7] Amundsen, S., & Martinsen, Ø. L. (2015). Linking empowering leadership to job satisfaction, work effort, and creativity: The role of self-leadership and
psychological empowerment. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies 22, 304-323.
[8] Anna B. N, Tanya. B. & Koen, N. (2017) Innovative work behaviour in knowledge-intensive public sector organizations: The case of supervisors in the
Netherlands fire services. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 28(2), 379-398.
[9] Baird, K., & Wang, H. (2010). Employee empowerment: the extent of adoption and influential factors. Personal Review, 39(5), 574-599.
https://doi.org/10.1108/00483481011064154
[10] Barsi, M., Ziglari, F. & Abadi, M. N. A (2013). Study Effective Factors on Employees’ Empowerment by a Model Based on Conger & Kanungo Model;
Case Study: Social Security Organization of Bandar Abbas (Iran). International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and
Management Sciences, 3(4), 308–318.
[11] Boonyarit, I., Chomphupart, S., & Arin, N. (2010). Leadership, empowerment, and attitude outcomes. The Journal of Behavioral Science, 5(1), 1-14.
[12] Bysted, R., & Jespersen, K. R. (2014). Exploring managerial mechanisms that influence innovative work behaviour: Comparing private and public
employees. Public Management Review, 16(2), 217-241.
[13] Cai, J & Lester F. (2010). Why is teaching with problem solving important to student learning? Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics.
[14] Celik, A., Iraz, R. & Selcuk (2014). The effects of employee empowerment applications on organizational creativity and innovativeness in enterprises:
the case of oiz. European Scientific Journal, 10(10), 99-107.
[15] Celik, A., Iraz, R., Cakici, A. B., & Celik, N. (2014). The effects of employee empowerment application on organizational creativity and innovation in
enterprises: The case of OIZ. European Scientific Journal, 10(10), 99-107.
[16] De Spiegelaere, S., Van Gyes, G., Vandekerckhove, S., & Hootegem, G. V. (2012). Job design and innovative work behavior: Enabling innovation
through active or low-strain jobs. Available at SSRN 2158618.
[17] García-Goñi, M., Maroto, A., & Rubalcaba, L. (2007). Innovation and motivation in public health professionals. Health Policy, 84(2-3), 344-358.
[18] Gomez, S. J. (2017). Self-management skills of management graduates. International Journal of Research in Management & Business Studies, 4(3), 4044.
[19] Gu, Y.D., & Peng, J.S. (2010). The effects of organizational innovation climate on employee innovative behavior: The mediating role of creative selfefficacy. Nankai Business Review, 1, 30-41.
[20] Han, Y., & Yang, B.Y. (2011). Authentic leadership, psychological capital and employee innovative behavior: The moderating role of exchange of
leaders member. Management World, 12, 78-86.
[21] Huang, Z.K. (2004). The study of relationship between organizational innovative climate perception, individual innovation behavior, self-efficacy
perception and the type to solve the problem—taking the banking industry as the research object. Ph.D. Thesis, Institute of Human Resource
Management, National Sun Yat-sen University, Gushan.
[22] Incebacat, B.B. & Ersoy, E. (2016). Problem-solving skills of secondary school. China-USA Business Review, 15(6), 275-285.
[23] Jacquiline, F. N. (2014). Employee empowerment and job satisfaction. Research journal of human resource, 2(2), 1-12.
[24] Janssen, O. (2004). How fairness perceptions make innovative behavior more or less stressful. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25(2), 201-215.
[25] Kanake, M. K., & Kemboi, A. (2020). Employee empowerment and innovative work behavior: The moderating role of leader-member exchange.
SEISENSE Journal of Management, 3(5), 13-23.
[26] Kumar, P. J. & Kumar, A. A. (2017). Employee Empowerment – An Empirical Study. Global Journal of Management and Business Research:
Administration and Management, 17(4 ), 59-64.
[27] Lu, X.J. and Zhang, G.L. (2007) The study of the work motivation effect on individual innovation behavior. Soft Science, 21, 124-127.
[28] Marane, B. M. (2012). The mediating role of trust in organization on the influence of psychological empowerment on innovation behavior. European
Journal of Social Sciences, 33(1), 39-51.
[29] Melhem, Y. (2004). The antecedents of customer-contact employees’ empowerment. Employee Relations, 26 (1), 72-93.
https://doi.org/10.1108/01425450410506913
[30] Meyerson, G. & Dewettinck, B. (2012). Effect of empowerment on employees performance. Advanced Research in Economic and Management
Sciences 2, 40-46.
[31] Mukwakungu, S. C., Mankazana, S. & Mbohwa, C. The impact of employee empowerment on organizational performance in a flavours and fragrance
manufacturing company in South Africa. Conference: GBATA’s 20th Anniversary Annual International Conference at: Bangkok, Thailand.
[32] Ollikainen, M., & Varis, J. (2006). Human errors play a remarkable role in sheet metal industry. Mechanika, 5 (61), 51-56.
[33] Orfila-Sintes, F., & Mattsson, J. (2009). Innovation behavior in the hotel industry. Omega, 37(2), 380-394.
[34] Pot, F. D., Totterdill, P. and Dhondt, S. (2017). European policy on workplace innovation. UK: Springer International Publishing AG.
[35] Runco, M. A. (2004). Creativity theories. Annual Review of Psychology, 55, 657-687.
[36] Saif, N. I. & Saleh, A. S. (2013). Psychological empowerment and job satisfaction in Jordanian hospitals. International Journal of Humanities and
Social Science, 3(16), 250-257.
[37] Saygili, S. (2017). Examining the problem solving skills and the strategies used by High School students in solving non-routine problems. EInternational Journal of Educational Research, 8(2), 91-114.
[38] Scott, S.G. & Bruce, R.A. (1994). Determinants of innovative behavior: A path model of individual in the workplace. Academy of Management Journal,
37, 580-670. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/256701
[39] Simonton, D. K. (2000). Creativity: Cognitive, Personal, Developmental and Social Aspects. American Psychologist, 55 (1), 151-158.
[40] Sweetman, D., Luthans, F., Avey, J.B. & Luthans, B. (2011). Relationship between positive psychological capital and creative performance. Canadian
Journal of Administrative Sciences 28, 4-13.
[41] Tao, Y.M., & Kang, Y. (2012). The relationship study based on the organizational commitment between organizational innovation climate and
individual innovation behavior. Industrial Technology and Economy, 6, 145-150.
[42] Voegtlin, C., Boehm, S., and Bruch, H. (2015). How to empower employees: Using training to enhance work units’ collective empowerment.
International Journal of Manpower, 36(3), 354 – 373.
[43] Wadhwa, D. S. & Verghese, M. (2015). Impact of employee empowerment on job satisfaction and organizational commitment: An empirical
investigation with special reference to selected cement industry in Chhattisgarh. International Journal in Management and Social Science, 3(3), 280286.
[44] Wilkinson, A. (1998). Empowerment: Theory and practice. Personnel Review, 27(1), 40-56. https://doi.org/10.1108/00483489810368549.
[45] Xerri, M., & Brunetto, Y. (2011). Fostering the innovative behaviour of SME employees: A social capital perspective. Research and Practice in Human
Resource Management, 19(2), 43-59.
[46] Yadav, R., Prakash, C., & Dalal, A. (2023). Empowering leadership and innovative work behavior: Mediating effect of psychological empowerment.
Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences, 17(1), 1-20.
[47] Yang, J.Z., Yang, D.T., Zhao, S.D., et al. (2011) The inner driving force of employees’ innovation in the workplace: Employees’ creativity self-efficacy.
Psychological Science Progress, 9, 1363-1370.
[48] Yidong, T., & Xinxin, L. (2013). How ethical leadership influence employees’ innovative work behavior: A perspective of intrinsic motivation. Journal
of Business Ethics, 116(2), 441-455.
[49] Yuan, F., & Woodman, R. W. (2010). Innovative behavior in the workplace: The role of performance and image outcome expectations. Academy of
Management Journal, 53(2), 323-342.
[50] Zhang, X. M. & Bartol, K. M. (2010). Linking empowering leadership and employee creativity: The influence of psychological empowerment, intrinsic
motivation, and creative process engagement. Academy of Management Journal 53, 107-128.
[51] Zhang, X. M. & Zhou, J. (2014). Empowering leadership, uncertainty avoidance, trust, and employee creativity: Interaction effects and a mediating
mechanism. Organizational Behaviour and Human Decision Processes 124, 160-164.
Creativity, Empowerment, Innovative Work Behaviour, Problem-Solving Skills, Psychological, Structural.