Importance of commitment in encouraging employees’ innovative behaviour

Purpose – The extremely competitive and globalized business environment directs organizations to rely on human capital to be innovative. Committed employees are needed for organizations to foster innovative behaviors. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between three forms of commitment and employees’ innovative behavior. Design/methodology/approach – Adopted questionnaire from previous studies were distributed among employees of Malaysian Small and Medium Enterprises. A total of 219 questionnaires were analyzed via partial least square. Findings – Statistical results revealed significant relationships between affective and normative commitment and employees’ innovative behavior. Originality/value – This study offers a theoretical contribution by adding an insight into the relationship between commitment and innovative behavior. The study also provides a practical guideline for managers of Malaysian SMEs who aim to increase innovative behavior among employees by considering their level of commitment.