Abstract
Background: A plethora of evidence suggests that innovation is central to organisational survival. Whilst most research points to gender diversity being useful in fostering innovation, the difference in the way men and women perceive the workplace, and the impact of these perceptions on their innovative work behaviour, are less pronounced. Aim: This research aims to assess the meaning men and women attach to organisational variables and the impact thereof on innovation. In identifying the gender-specific antecedents to innovative work behaviour, business leaders could adjust the workplace in order to optimise innovation in the workplace. Setting: Employed men and women, across several South African organisations, capable of reporting on their perception of the workplace, were included in the study. Method: A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data on innovative work behaviour and acknowledged antecedents thereto. After eliminating instruments which were not measurement-invariant, the relationships between the variables were assessed. Results: Men perceived more support to innovate, and were marginally more innovative than women. When using instruments which were measurement-invariant, no practical significant differences in the relationships between innovation and its antecedents were found. Conclusion: While gender diversity may influence innovation in teams, gender matters little at an individual level. Men and women therefore react similarly to organisational forces. Managerial implications: Men and women react in a similar way to the variables included in the study, and the relationships between these variables are comparable across gender. Gender differentiation in arranging the work environment is therefore unwarranted. Contribution: This research presents empirical data enlightening a current socio-political matter, dealing with gender at an individual rather than at a collective level, applying state of the art methods, and concluding that at an individual level, men and women react to the workplace in no dissimilar manner.
Ph.D. (Leadership in Performance and Change)