Nurse middle managers’ proactive work behavior: antecedents and consequences on innovative work behavior and job performance
Journal of Health Organization and Management
ISSN: 1477-7266
Article publication date: 20 June 2024
Issue publication date: 16 July 2024
Abstract
Purpose
Healthcare organizations require more proactive behaviors from nursing professionals. However, nurse managers’ proactivity has rarely been analyzed in the literature and little is known about the antecedents and consequences of their proactive behavior at work. This study examines the relationships between job characteristics (i.e. job autonomy and job variety), psychological empowerment, proactive work behavior and job effectiveness indicators (i.e. innovative work behavior, job performance). We tested a model in which psychological empowerment and proactive work behavior sequentially mediate the relationship between job characteristics and job effectiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional study was conducted among nurse middle managers from a French hospital (N = 321). A hypothetical model was developed based on existing theory. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses.
Findings
Results show that psychological empowerment and proactive work behavior fully mediate the relationship between job characteristics and innovative work behavior, and partially mediate the relationship between job characteristics and job performance.
Originality/value
This study provides insights for understanding how job characteristics can contribute to fostering the proactivity of nurse middle managers and how their proactive work behavior can be positively related to innovative work behavior and job performance. Findings raise several implications for hospital administrators and upper management seeking new ways to enhance nurse middle managers' proactive work behavior and push further their effectiveness at work.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
We sincerely acknowledge nurse middle managers, who showed great interest and completed the questionnaire. This study could not have been conducted without their contribution. We would also like to acknowledge the invaluable research contributions of the late Pr Adalgisa Battistelli in the successful completion of the broader research project of which this paper is part. Her passing on December 26th, 2021, is a great loss to our field. Prof. Battistelli’s influence extends beyond the scope of this work, as her extensive research has provided our field with powerful conceptual and methodological frameworks to better understand the psychosocial processes of innovation, proactive behaviors, and organizational learning. We are deeply grateful for the privilege of working with Prof. Battistelli over the years and for her guidance, which has been instrumental in shaping our research.
Citation
Pierre, L., Cangialosi, N. and Déprez, G.R.M. (2024), "Nurse middle managers’ proactive work behavior: antecedents and consequences on innovative work behavior and job performance", Journal of Health Organization and Management, Vol. 38 No. 5, pp. 682-704. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHOM-03-2023-0087
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited