Leader-member innovative work behavior (in)congruence and task performance: The moderating role of work engagement

We focus on dyadic interactions among supervisor- and employee-innovative work behavior (IWB) and how (in) congruence ([mis]fit) conditions relate to employee task performance. The logic of the person-supervisor (P-S) fit framework is used to explicate perceived supervisory performance ratings in the high-high fit and low-low fit situations, as well as designate the moderating effects of employee work engagement on the leader-member IWB incongruence-task performance link. A time-lagged two-source field research study on a sample of 157 employees and 40 direct supervisors from four public-sector organizations operating in an EU member state indicates that having highly innovative supervisors and likewise innovative employees produces the highest levels of employee task performance. Moreover, a moderated polynomial regression analysis revealed that employee work engagement buffers the effect of perceived misfit, elevating followers' task performance in the condition of low supervisor-IWB and high employee-IWB. Contributions and implications for the innovation management and work engagement literature are discussed.

Automated summary

This study examines the dyadic interactions between supervisors and employees in innovative work behavior and how congruence conditions relate to employee task performance. The findings suggest that having highly innovative supervisors and likewise innovative employees enhances employee task performance. Additionally, employee work engagement moderates the relationship between incongruence in supervisor and employee innovative work behavior and employee task performance.