Empowering employees: job standardization and innovative behavior

Purpose Little research has been focused on the conflicting concepts of job standardization and employee innovative behavior. To fill this research gap, this study explores the relationship between job standardization and employee innovative behavior, as well as the mediating and moderating effects of employee psychological empowerment. Design/methodology/approach Respondents chosen from frontline services in tourist hotels in Taiwan were used to examine the mediating and moderating roles of psychological empowerment on the established relationships between job standardization and employee innovative behavior. The results were analyzed using hierarchical regression models. Findings The results show that job standardization had a negative effect on employee innovative behavior. In addition, employee psychological empowerment mediated the effect of job standardization on innovative behavior. Subsequently, employee psychological empowerment played a buffering role and moderated the job standardization-innovative behavior relationship. Practical implications Hotel management needs to use both training and work process review to help employees innovate whilst still understanding the meaning of their work, enhancing self-efficacy, self-determination and the impact of decision-making. Originality/value This study gives both theoretical and empirical evidence to clarify the effect of psychological empowerment on the importance of job standardization and innovative behavior in organizations. This is the only study that has investigated this topic in the hospitality field and therefore makes significant strides in understanding the impact of psychological empowerment on hotel employees’ innovative behavior.