Innovation is the key: identifying factors to increase career satisfaction and psychological well-being in millennial and generation Z sport employees

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate how to generate innovative work behaviors among Millennial and Generation Z sport employees and its impact on their career satisfaction and psychological well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used structural equation modeling to examine the relationships among predictors of job engagement, innovative work behaviors, career satisfaction and psychological well-being. The model was tested across managerial sport employees of Division I athletics departments (N = 224).

Findings

The highlights of the study include job engagement's positive relationship with innovative work behaviors and the positive influence of innovative work behavior on career satisfaction and psychological well-being.

Originality/value

These findings signify the importance of considering job engagement and innovative work behaviors to develop a positive work experience for Millennial and Generation Z sport employees. Doing so is thought to be a critical step in cultivating an organizational competitive advantage via younger generations of sport employees.

Citation

Hill, J., Kim, M., Oja, B.D., Kim, H.S. and Lee, H.-W. (2024), "Innovation is the key: identifying factors to increase career satisfaction and psychological well-being in millennial and generation Z sport employees", Sport, Business and Management, Vol. 14 No. 3, pp. 360-379. https://doi.org/10.1108/SBM-05-2023-0064