Decent work and innovative work behavior of academic staff in higher education institutions: the mediating role of work engagement and job self-efficacy

Decent work was proposed by International Labour Organization (ILO) as an institutional measure to address challenges faced by labor in the current competitive dynamic labor market. This study aims to investigate the impact of "decent work" dimensions on faculty members' Innovative Work Behaviour (IWB) in higher education institutes. The study also explores the possible role of work engagement in mediating this relationship. Moreover, the study aims to discover the role of job self-efficacy in mediating the relationship between decent work and work engagement. Using the SEM (Structural Equational Modelling) method, we test our model's hypotheses with data from 224 faculty members working in higher education institutes through the use of questionnaires. Results suggest that "decent work" was a predictor of IWB only through the full mediation of work engagement. Decent work was found to significantly impact job self-efficacy and work engagement. Furthermore, job self-efficacy was found to play an important role in promoting work engagement and acts as a mediating variable in the relationship between decent work and work engagement. Findings encourage education policymakers to implement new strategies and policies to promote higher levels of decent work for faculty members, with greater emphasis on work engagement, to enhance their IWB. This study is one of a few studies conducted in emerging economies that highlight "decent work" as an essential job resource, useful in enhancing work engagement and leading to higher IWB among faculty members in higher education institutions.