The effect of idiosyncratic deals on employee innovative behavior: An integrated framework of cognition and affection

Millennials and subsequent generations of employees seek unique value and growth, which can be fulfilled through idiosyncratic deals (i-deals) that provide personalized employment relationships and enriched psychological resources. Using conservation of resources theory, this study examined how i-deals influence employees’ innovative behavior, specifically through the mediating roles of job autonomy and relational energy and the moderating effect of leader creativity expectations. We conducted a survey of 475 high-tech manufacturing employees. The results showed that i-deals significantly enhanced innovative behavior and that this relationship was mediated by job autonomy and relational energy. Furthermore, leader creativity expectations strengthened the positive effect of relational energy on innovative behavior but weakened that of job autonomy on innovative behavior. These findings imply that effectively designing and implementing i-deals can promote employee innovation by leveraging cognitive and affective resources. This study expands conservation of resources theory and deepens understanding of the antecedents of innovative behavior.