Twentieth International Conference on Knowledge, Culture, and Change in Organizations

Abstract

Innovation is imperative for organizations to sustain their competitive advantage and thrive. Increasingly, to succeed in a fast-paced business world, understanding the antecedents to fostering employee innovation remains under-developed. Adding to this complexity, the seismic shift of employment weighs on organizations to offer flexibility in working arrangements. This, consequentially, gives employees autonomy in organizing how, where, and when work is conducted, whilst at the same time meeting the demands of being innovative and competitive. This paper presents a study of an Australian Accounting Organization that implemented flexible desking with the aim of employee collaboration and knowledge sharing. The qualitative online questionnaire, based on de Jong et. al. (2010) Innovative Work Behvaiour (IWB) model and survey questions, looked specifically at how employees perceive the potential effects of workspace usage on each of the four phases that make up IWB. It explored the employee’s capacity and capability in exploration of new opportunities, generating and championing ideas, and working styles that were important determinants for organizational innovation by this flexible desking. The findings showed influence and impact on IWB for flexible desk users. The study highlighted how maintaining autonomy, physical proximity, and communication were important factors to fostering IWB. On the other hand, the study also showed that employees using fixed desks perceived no discernible influence on their IWB. This study contributes to the understanding of employee autonomy and IWB when working environments are changing rapidly. It also provides insights on how employees’ proclivity to innovate can be influenced through organizational practices.