EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT CLIMATE AND WORK MOTIVATION AS PREDICTORS OF INDIVIDUAL ADAPTABILITY

Abstract

With changing environment in our daily work lives, there is a need to adapt constantly. The ability of an employee to cope up or respond to change acts as a competitive advantage for organisations. This research is a response to the increasing demand for adaptability from the employee as well as organisation’s perspective. Though, it is known that people adapt according to their ability, but there is also the likelihood of it being affected by environmental aspect. The antecedents of adaptability are varied from psychological to environmental variables. Existing studies has mostly focused on the role of individual differences on adaptability. There are few studies concentrating on the organisational contextual effect on an individual's ability to cope. This study broadens the understanding of individual adaptation at workplace. This empirical research tests the model of contextual level as well as individual level affecting individual adaptability. The current study used a contextual as well as individual centred approach to study the role of employee involvement climate and motivation on individual adaptive behaviours. Specifically, the study investigates how the dimensions of employee involvement climate and work motivation predicts individual adaptability. It was hypothesised that a high level of employee involvement climate would also report high levels of adaptability. At the individual level, work motivation of employees was tested through two dimensions namely, self-determined motivation and nonself-determined motivation. Lastly, we tested the mediating role of self-determined motivation between employee involvement climate and individual adaptability. Researchers have investigated the reality of different types motivation an individual can experience. This study further tested the variations in demographics (gender, age, organisation type) in relation to employee involvement climate, work motivation and adaptability. The model was tested in a cross sectional design of 310 participants working at junior, middle and senior-level positions across public and private sector organisations. Organisations varied from service, hydropower, manufacturing, banking, and infrastructure industry. After data screening, confirmatory factor analysis was performed to check selected variables' reliability, validity, and model fit indices. Statistical techniques such as correlation, t-test, one-way ANOVA, multiple hierarchical regression and conditional process analysis were used to test the hypothesis. The current study's findings suggest that there are significant differences in age, gender, and organisation type for specific dimensions of employee involvement climate, work motivation, and adaptability. Employee involvement climate plays an important role in enhancing employee adaptability. Decision-making, information sharing, rewards and training are essential for supporting and empowering employees. All four attributes form a synergy, meaning that together these practices have a higher effect than individually. Self-determination motivation significantly predicts adaptability. The findings of the current study suggest various managerial and theoretical implications. Favourable conditions of a climate of employee involvement at the workplace positively impact adaptive behaviours. In particular, participative decision making and information sharing dimensions of employee involvement climate were the significant predictors of adaptability. Also, work motivation dimension self-determined motivation predicted adaptability significantly. Further, self-determined motivation partially mediated the relationship between employee involvement climate and individual adaptability. The results obtained in the current study can facilitate HR managers and organisations to review their practices, policies and structures in developing the climate to enhance motivation and adaptability. Further, the current study discusses the limitations and future directions.