EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE OF FACULTY WELL-BEING AND INNOVATIVE BEHAVIOUR IN THE EDUCATIONAL SECTOR: ASSESSING THE MODERATING ROLE OF ORGANISATIONAL JUSTICE AND INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP

Innovative behaviour and its antecedents have become very important for higher education institutions (HEIs) and attracted research interest recently. To address this need, the researcher draws on Human relation theory (HRT) and equity theory to examine the impacts of employee well-being (EW) and employee absorptive capacity (EAC) on innovative employee behaviour. The researchers examined the mediating variable of EAC in this study and the moderation effect of organisational justices and innovative leaders. Data were collected and analysed from 239 full-time academic members working within the HEIs in Jordan. The smart partial least square SmartPLS analysis outputs reveal that EW affects EAC, consequently affecting innovative employee behaviour. Surprisingly, innovative leadership behaviour plays a moderating role in the relationship between EAC and IB. Also, organisational justice affects EAC. These findings provide administrators in HEIs about enhancing innovative academic behaviours by assuring well-being through fairness and leader innovative support.