Creating innovation without ‘superstars’: A configurational approach to innovative work behaviour in Vietnamese digital enterprises

Abstract

Purpose: This study addresses a critical limitation in innovative work behaviour (IWB) research, which has predominantly relied on net-effect models that provide a narrow understanding of how innovation emerges. By focusing on isolated relationships, prior approaches fail to capture how personal and organisational conditions interact to jointly shape IWB. Consequently, this research adopts a configurational perspective to examine how a combination of resources collectively fosters innovative outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach: Integrating Conservation of Resources (COR) theory and the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) model, the study utilises a dual-analytic approach. While partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) establishes measurement validity and a symmetrical benchmark, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) serves as the primary technique for identifying configurational pathways among 595 employees in Vietnamese digital enterprises.
Findings/results: Results demonstrate that no single condition is necessary for high IWB, revealing multiple equifinal configurations. Two dominant patterns are identified: synergistic resource alignment and compensatory resource substitution (Institutional Scaffolding), where organisational conditions effectively offset deficits in individual personal resources. The findings also reveal causal asymmetry, indicating that the drivers of high IWB differ fundamentally from those associated with its absence.
Practical implications: Managers should move beyond ‘one-size-fits-all’ approaches, focusing on the strategic alignment of job autonomy and organisational support to democratise innovation beyond ‘superstar’ employees. This offers an evidence-based blueprint for firms in emerging markets, such as South Africa, to sustain innovation despite persistent talent shortages.
Originality/value: The study contributes by shifting the focus from isolated net effects to configurational causation. By introducing a resource substitution logic, it challenges ‘superstar-centred’ views and positions fsQCA as a robust methodology for capturing complexity and equifinality in innovation processes.