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Proactivity routines: the role of social processes in how employees self-initiate change

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  • Vough, Heather C.
  • Bindl, Uta K.
  • Parker, Sharon K.

Abstract

Proactive work behaviors are self-initiated, future-focused actions aimed at bringing about changes to work processes in organizations. Such behaviors occur within the social context of work. The extant literature that has focused on the role of social context for proactivity has focused on social context as an overall input or output of proactivity. However, in this paper we argue that the process of engaging in proactive work behavior (proactive goal striving) may also be a function of the social context it occurs in. Based on qualitative data from 39 call center employees in an energy-supply company, we find that in a context characterized by standardized work procedures, proactive goal striving can occur through a proactivity routine- a socially constructed and accepted pattern of action by which employees initiate and achieve changes to work processes, with the support of managers and colleagues. Our findings point to the need to view proactive work behaviors at a higher level of analysis than the individual in order to identify shared routines for engaging in proactivity, as well as how multiple actors coordinate their efforts in the process of achieving individually-generated proactive goals.

Suggested Citation

  • Vough, Heather C. & Bindl, Uta K. & Parker, Sharon K., 2017. "Proactivity routines: the role of social processes in how employees self-initiate change," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 68584, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:68584
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/68584/
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jane E. Dutton & Susan J. Ashford & Katherine A. Lawrence & Kathi Miner-Rubino, 2002. "Red Light, Green Light: Making Sense of the Organizational Context for Issue Selling," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(4), pages 355-369, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Michelle She Min Ngo & Michael J. Mustafa & Muhammad Mohsin Butt, 2023. "When and why employees take charge in the Workplace: the roles of learning goal orientation, role-breadth self-efficacy and co-worker support," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 17(5), pages 1681-1702, July.
    2. Kidron, Aviv & Vinarski-Peretz, Hedva, 2024. "Linking psychological and social capital to organizational performance: A moderated mediation of organizational trust and proactive behavior," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 42(2), pages 245-254.
    3. Kim, Tae-Yeol & Wang, Xing & Schuh, Sebastian C. & Liu, Zhiqiang, 2024. "Effects of organizational innovative climate within organizations: The roles of Managers' proactive goal regulation and external environments," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(5).

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    JEL classification:

    • R14 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Land Use Patterns
    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General
    • J50 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - General

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