Diversity of Social Ties and Employee Innovation: The Importance of Informal Learning and Reciprocity / [La diversidad de los lazos sociales y la innovación en el trabajo: la importancia del aprendizaje informal y de la reciprocidad]

This study examines the relationship between employees’ social tie diversity (ties heterogeneity based on organizational functions), innovative work behavior, informal field-based learning, and reciprocity (bidirectional ties proportion). A sample of 182 workers from an Italian clothing manufacturing company was analyzed. The findings reveal that social tie diversity positively influences innovative work behavior, and their relationship is mediated by informal field-based learning. Additionally, reciprocity strengthens the indirect link between social tie diversity and innovative work behavior. This research contributes to the network and innovation literature by corroborating the role of social tie diversity in promoting innovative work behaviors, highlighting the importance of informal field-based learning, and emphasizing the impact of reciprocity. By doing so, this study offers insights into processes and conditions under which social tie diversity has the greatest impact on employee innovation, providing practical implications for fostering innovative work behaviors in organizations.(AU)

El estudio analiza la relación entre la variedad de vínculos sociales de los empleados (heterogeneidad de los vínculos cimentada en las funciones en la empresa), el comportamiento innovador en el trabajo, el aprendizaje informal de campo y la reciprocidad (proporción de vínculos bidireccionales). Se utilizó una muestra de 182 trabajadores de una empresa textil italiana. Se observó que la diversidad de vínculos sociales influye positivamente en el comportamiento innovador en el trabajo y que esta relación está mediada por el aprendizaje informal de campo. Además la reciprocidad fortalece la relación indirecta entre la diversidad de vínculos sociales y el comportamiento innovador en el trabajo. El estudio es una contribución a las publicaciones sobre redes e innovación al corroborar el papel que juega la diversidad de vínculos sociales en el impulso al comportamiento innovador en el trabajo, destacando la importancia del aprendizaje informal de campo y la influencia de la reciprocidad. De este modo el estudio aporta ideas sobre los procesos y condiciones en las que la diversidad de vínculos sociales tiene mayor repercusión en la innovación de los empleados, con implicaciones prácticas para impulsar el comportamiento innovador en el trabajo en las empresas.(AU)

Exploring skill requirements for the Industry 4.0: a worker-oriented approach / Explorando habilidades requeridas para la Industria 4.0: Un enfoque orientado al trabajador

Emerging technologies are shaping the world of work, thus creating an increasingly digital industry, also known as “Industry 4.0”. Thus, examining skill requirements becomes essential to facilitate organizational adaptation to this technological revolution. The aim of this study was to explore the perception of skill requirements of workers of a highly technological manufacturing company. In Study 1 (n = 671), an exploratory factor analysis was carried out to identify relevant groups of skills. A year later, in Study 2 (n = 176), we confirmed the factor structure through a confirmatory factor analysis and we conducted a latent growth curve analysis to examine potential changes of the previous skill requirements due to the lockdown and the forced remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings showed that cognitive, functional business, strategic and managing people skills are considered as important resources for the industry 4.0, being the functional business skills increasingly relevant in time 2. Moreover, we identified differences between managers and subordinates regarding such skills. We discuss theoretical and practical implications for skills development in the digital age.(AU)

Tecnologías emergentes están dando forma al mundo del trabajo, creando así una industria cada vez más digital, también conocida como "Industria 4.0". Por tanto, examinar el requirimiento de habilidades se vuelve esencial para facilitar la adaptación organizacional a esta revolución tecnológica. El objetivo de este estudio fue explorar la percepción de las habilidades requeridas por los trabajadores de una empresa manufacturera altamente tecnológica. En el Estudio 1 (n = 671), se realizó un análisis factorial exploratorio para identificar grupos relevantes de habilidades. Un año después, en el Estudio 2 (n = 176), confirmamos la estructural factorial a través de un análisis factorial confirmatorio y realizamos un análisis de curva de crecimiento latente para examinar posibles cambios en las habilidades requeridas debido al confinamiento y el trabajo remoto forzado durante la pandemia del COVID-19. Los resultados mostraron que las habilidades cognitivas, funcionales del negocio, estratégicas y de gestión de personas se consideran recursos importantes para la industria 4.0, siendo las habilidades funcionales del negocio más relevantes en el tiempo 2. Además, identificamos diferencias entre gerentes y subordinados con respecto a tales habilidades. Discutimos las implicaciones teóricas y prácticas para el desarrollo de habilidades en la era digital.(AU)

Perceived organizational values and innovation: The role of transactive memory and age diversity in military teams.

This study investigates the mediating role of transactive memory system (TMS) in the relationship between perception of innovation value (VIN) and team innovation, as well as the moderating effect of age diversity for the TMS - team innovation relationship. The study of this moderated-mediation model concerning VIN, TMS, and team diversity as a contextual factor, is especially relevant in military teams which are directly concerned by military values, have high needs of effective coordination, and naturally are composed by young soldiers working with older leaders. To test our model, we evaluated 453 employees composing 48 military units from Italy's Air Force. Results confirmed that VIN is positively related to TMS, and that the latter has a positive effect on team innovation except at high levels of age diversity where the effect is reduced and non-significant. These findings highlight the importance of identifying and managing age differences, sharing common and distributed expertise, and promoting innovative initiatives in the military. Theoretical backgrounds, results, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

Affective commitment, participative leadership, and employee innovation: a multilevel investigation / Compromiso afectivo, liderazgo participativo e innovación del empleado: una investigación multinivel

Research investigating the relationship between organizational affective commitment and employee innovation has yielded scarce and inconsistent findings. This study examined the role of participative leadership in a team as a boundary condition of the effectiveness of organizational affective commitment predicting employee innovation. Data were collected from 343 employees in 34 teams from different Italian companies. The results from hierarchical linear modelling analysis indicated that the relationship between organizational affective commitment and employee innovation was stronger when team-level participative leadership was high. Our findings provide meaningful insights regarding the contextual conditions that strengthen the impact of organizational commitment on workplace innovation

La investigación sobre la relación entre el compromiso organizacional afectivo y la innovación del empleado ha producido hallazgos escasos e inconsistentes. Este estudio examinó el papel del liderazgo participativo en un equipo como condición límite de la efectividad del compromiso organizacional afectivo para predecir la innovación del empleado. Los datos fueron obtenidos de 343 empleados en 34 equipos de diferentes compañías italianas. Los resultados de análisis de modelamiento lineal jerárquico indicaron que la relación entre el compromiso organizacional afectivo y la innovación del empleado era más fuerte cuando el liderazgo participativo a nivel de equipo era alto. Nuestros hallazgos proporcionan claves significativas sobre las condiciones contextuales que refuerzan el impacto del compromiso organizacional sobre la innovación en el trabajo

Perceived organisational support, organisational commitment and self-competence among nurses: a study in two Italian hospitals.

AIM: This study examined the contributions of perceived organisational support (POS) and organisational commitment (i.e. affective, continuance and normative) to self-competence among nurses. BACKGROUND: In high-POS environments, workers benefit from socio-emotional resources to improve their skills, while positive forms of commitment (e.g. affective commitment) create a fertile context for developing one's competencies. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the nursing staff of two Italian urban hospitals (hospital A, n = 160; hospital B, n = 192). A structured questionnaire was administered individually to the nurses. Data analysis was conducted through multi-group analysis and supplemented by a bootstrapping approach. RESULTS: The results showed that POS was positively related to self-competence through affective commitment. In contrast, continuance and normative commitment did not mediate this relationship. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that supporting employees through caring about their well-being as well as fostering positive forms of organisational commitment increases nurses' self-competence. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse managers may increase support perceptions and commitment among their staff by rewarding their contributions and caring about their well-being, as well as concentrating on training strategies that improve work-related skills.

Work Engagement as Mediator between Perceived Participation, Supervisor Support and Altruistic Behaviors: Empirical Results from the Italian Social Enterprise Sector / Compromiso con el trabajo como mediador entre participación percibida, aporte de supervisor y comportamientos altruistas: resultados empíricos desde el sector italiano de empresas sociales

This research note presents an empirical study conducted in a number of social cooperatives (SCoops). Democratic governance has been identified as a defining aspect of this kind of social enterprise. Using the work and organizational psychology approach, the authors studied the effects of democratic governance and supervisor support on workers' engagement and organizational citizenship behaviors. The convenience sample technique was used for gathering the data. Data was collected with a self-administered questionnaire. The sample consisted of258 participants from three different Scoops situated in northern Italy. Statistical analysis results suggest that worker's perceived participation and supervisor support enhance work engagement, and subsequently, altruistic behaviors. Finally, the authors comment on the limitations of the study giving methodological suggestions for future empirical research.

El presente artículo presenta una investigación realizada con la colaboración de varias cooperativas sociales (SCoops). El gobierno democrático es una de las principales características de este tipo de empresa social. A partir de la perspectiva de la psicología del trabajo y de las organizaciones (WOP), se estudiaron los efectos del gobierno democrático y del apoyo del superior sobre el compromiso hacia el trabajo y los comportamientos organizacionales de ciudadanía de los empleados. Se realizó un muestreo por conveniencia. Los datos fueron recogidos a través de un cuestionario autoadministrado. La muestra comprendió 258 empleados de tres SCoops situadas en el norte de Italia. Los análisis estadísticos realizados indican que la participación en la toma de decisiones y el apoyo del superior percibidos por los empleados, tienen una influencia positiva sobre su compromiso hacia el trabajo y sobre sus comportamientos altruistas. Por último, se presentan algunas sugerencias de carácter metodológico para la futura investigación.