Innovativeness white papers
Title: Job Complexity and Employee Innovativeness: A Meta--Analysis and Field Experiment
Publication Date: July 05, 2026
Magazine: Journal of Applied Psychology (ResearchGate)
Main Conclusions:
- Meta--Analytic Trend: A meta--analysis of 68 independent studies indicates that job complexity—characterized by high task variety and intellectual challenge—is a significant predictor of innovative work behavior (r = 0.47).
- Experimental Results: A field experiment involving job redesign to increase task significance and autonomy resulted in a 20% increase in employee--suggested process innovations over a six--month period compared to a control group.
- Moderating Role: The positive impact of job complexity on innovation is significantly strengthened when employees possess high levels of creative self--efficacy and perceive a high level of organizational support for risk--taking.