The Relationship Between Job Autonomy and Innovative Work Behaviors in the Public Sector

This study aims to examine the link between autonomy and innovative work behavior (IWB), as well as how affective commitment and innovative climate mediate this relationship. Data was collected from public sector employees in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region (n = 207). Data has been evaluated with structural equation modeling. While autonomy positively impacts affective commitment and innovative climate, it has no direct statistical effect on IWB. Furthermore, the innovative climate is significantly related to IWB and affective commitment and mediates the link between autonomy and IWB. Finally, whereas affective commitment mediates the association between autonomy and IWB favorably, it does not mediate the relationship between innovative climate and IWB. We discuss these findings while also linking to the context. Based on the results, we recommend that public managers provide a supportive and flexible culture in their organizations to improve the innovative outcomes of their staff.