A Study on the Mechanisms Underlying Employees’Deviant Innovation Behavior within the AMO Framework: Based on the QCA Method

Bin Gu

doi:10.63313/FPM.9008

Authors

Bin Gu Anhui University of Finance and Economics, Bengbu 233030, China Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63313/FPM.9008

Keywords:

Deviant innovation, AMO theory, QCA method

Abstract

Deviant innovation is becoming increasingly important for corporate development and has emerged as a focal point for scholars both domestically and internationally. Previous research has examined the antecedents of deviant innovation primarily from a single perspective, lacking investigations into the synergistic interactions among multiple variables. Drawing on AMO theory and employing the QCA method, this study explores the mechanisms that drive employees to engage in either high or non-high deviant innovation behavior. The findings reveal that: (1) No single condition—whether Sense of responsibility, Job autonomy, Role Breadth Self-Efficacy, Organizational Innovation Climate, or Transformational Leadership—constitutes a necessary prerequisite for employees' high or non-high deviant innovation; rather, such behavior requires the synergistic interplay of multiple factors. (2) Six pathways lead to high deviant innovation behavior, which can be categorized into three types: deviant innovation driven by Transformational Leadership and Role Breadth Self-Efficacy, deviant innovation driven by Job autonomy, and deviant innovation driven by Sense of responsibility. (3) Four pathways are found to result in non-high deviant innovation, which fall into two main types: lack of opportunity and lack of individual ability or motivation. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying employees' deviant innovation behavior under the influence of multiple factors, thereby providing a theoretical basis for organizations seeking to encourage deviant innovation.

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