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Sustainable Development of Mastery Goals and Innovative Behavior: Evidence from Chinese Faculty Members

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  • Chao Gao

    (School of Foreign Languages and Literature, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
    School of Foreign Languages, Shandong Women’s University, Jinan 250300, China)

  • Jiying Han

    (School of Foreign Languages and Literature, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China)

Abstract

It is well-acknowledged that organizational sustainability largely depends on employees’ innovative behavior, which is the same case with higher education institutions. This study aimed to explore the characteristics of and relationships between faculty members’ mastery goals and innovative behavior under the framework of achievement goal theory in the research context. Results from an anonymous questionnaire survey of 621 Chinese faculty members revealed a four-dimensional structure of mastery goals (task-approach goals, task-avoidance goals, learning-approach goals, and learning-avoidance goals) and a five-dimensional structure of innovative research behavior (opportunity exploration, generativity, formative investigation, championing, and application). The faculty members reported a high level of mastery goals for research and a moderate level of innovative research behavior respectively. Male faculty scored higher on opportunity exploration, formative investigation, championing, and application than their female counterparts. Innovative research behavior showed significantly positive associations with task-approach goals, negative associations with learning-approach goals, and no significant association with mastery-avoidance goals except the positive link of learning-avoidance goals to championing. These results have implications for understanding faculty research motivations and behaviors and effectively stimulating their innovativeness in research for sustainable development of higher education institutions.

Suggested Citation

  • Chao Gao & Jiying Han, 2022. "Sustainable Development of Mastery Goals and Innovative Behavior: Evidence from Chinese Faculty Members," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-14, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:15:p:8989-:d:869184
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Agnieszka Wojtczuk-Turek & Dariusz Turek, 2013. "Innovativeness in Organizations: The Role of LMX and Organizational Justice; The Case of Poland," International Journal of Synergy and Research, ToKnowPress, vol. 2(1), pages 41-55.
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    4. Mei Tian & Yan Su & Xin Ru, 2016. "Perish or Publish in China: Pressures on Young Chinese Scholars to Publish in Internationally Indexed Journals," Publications, MDPI, vol. 4(2), pages 1-16, April.
    5. Dariusz Turek & Agnieszka Wojtczuk-Turek, 2013. "Innovativeness in Organizations: The Role of LMX and Organizational Justice: The Case of Poland," Active Citizenship by Knowledge Management & Innovation: Proceedings of the Management, Knowledge and Learning International Conference 2013,, ToKnowPress.
    6. Ki Baek Jung & S. M. Ebrahim Ullah & Suk Bong Choi, 2021. "The Mediated Moderating Role of Organizational Learning Culture in the Relationships among Authentic Leadership, Leader-Member Exchange, and Employees’ Innovative Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-12, September.
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    1. Jiying Han & Zhe Zhang & Zhenmei Liu & Chao Gao, 2023. "Towards Sustainability: A Quantitative Inquiry into Chinese University Students’ Perceived Learner Empowerment and Innovative Behaviour," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-14, September.

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