The study and explanation of cognitive learning style impact on employees’ innovative behaviour (Case of Study: Information Technology Industry)

The rapid changes in the business environment have demanded innovation as an urgent need to survive in global markets. To implement innovation, organizations largely depend on their employees’ ability, commitment and beliefs toward innovation. Therefore, human resources and the emergence of innovative behaviours that are considered complex individual behaviours have a key role in the realization and promotion of innovative policies of organizations. To clarify innovative work behaviour, various factors have been discussed in the literature, among which, cognitive learning style is a factor in differentiating people in their way of thinking and learning. Employing the exploration research method analysis, this study investigates the relationship between learning style and innovative behavior in a conceptual and researcher-made model by considering the moderating variables of age, education and organizational position. The data included 950 valid questionnaires. While applying SPSS V27 and Minitab-V20 tools, linear regression analysis was used to assess the validation of hypotheses. The results show that there is no relationship between divergent styles and the emergence of innovative behaviour. Also, the convergent style is associated with the exploration and championing as well as not affecting the implementation of the idea. Also, the assimilating style has a strong relationship with the championing of the idea. Besides, among the moderating variables, the organizational position factor only affects the implementation of the idea, and age and education also affect the exploration and championing of the idea. According to the literature review, the relationship between learning style and innovative work behaviour is very rare in studies related to organizational innovation, so this research can be useful to enrich studies around this concept and its application in promoting organizational innovation.