Psychological capital and innovative behaviour among university academics in Malaysia: The mediating effect of individual psychological safety

• Main Author: Youn, Jia Xin
• Format: Final Year Project / Dissertation / Thesis
• Published: 2024
• Subjects: BF Psychology; HT Communities. Classes. Races; L Education (General)
• Online Access: http://eprints.utar.edu.my/6601/1/21AAM00617_DIS.pdf; http://eprints.utar.edu.my/6601/
• Institution: Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman

The present study investigated the relationship between PsyCap, individual psychological safety, and innovative behaviour among Malaysian university academics. The present study filled in the following research gaps: (a) lack of study focus on the employees’ individual psychological factor on their innovative behaviour; (b) inconsistent result found on the whole PsyCap construct effect and its’ each dimension’s effect on innovative behaviour; (c) lack of study focus on the academics’ individual psychological safety; and (d) lack of study focus on the possible mediator on the relationship between PsyCap and innovative behaviours. In addition, the COVID-19 global diseases and Industrial Revolution 4.0 in Malaysia caused a need to rethink the role of higher education institutions and the incorporation of innovative teaching. The present study adopted a quantitative and cross-sectional research design. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to university academics in Malaysia through email in order to measure their PsyCap, individual psychological safety, and innovative behaviours. 143 effective data were collected and used in the present study by using the purposive sampling method. The multiple linear regression indicated that PsyCap positively contributed to individual psychological safety and innovative behaviours, and the individual psychological safety positively contributed to innovative behaviours, confirmed the mediating effect of individual psychological safety on PsyCap and innovative behaviours. The present study bridged the research gaps and increased awareness of the need for Malaysian universities to accelerate their innovation pace in order to survive in the highly competitive market. The present study was also beneficial to the human resource (HR) manager in the recruiting, selecting, hiring, and training process.