Horizontal relationships in an organization as a factor promoting employee innovation: A proposal for empirical assumptions
Author :
Abstract
The aim of this article is to present a conceptual model explaining the impact of horizontal relationships in an organization on innovative employee behavior. In particular, the study focuses on interpersonal trust, peer support, and knowledge sharing as key dimensions of non-hierarchical workplace relationships that may foster the generation, promotion, and implementation of new ideas by employees. The proposed framework integrates the Resource-Based View (RBV), social exchange theory, and the concept of psychological safety in order to explain how social resources embedded in everyday coworker interactions can stimulate bottom-up innovation. The model also includes important mediating mechanisms, such as team identification, psychological safety, and intrinsic motivation, as well as potential moderators related to leadership style, organizational culture, and the degree of formalization within the organization. By emphasizing horizontal relations as valuable and difficult-to-imitate social resources, the article contributes to a better understanding of how innovation can emerge not only from formal structures and leadership, but also from peer-level interactions and collaborative climates. The paper constitutes a preliminary stage of a broader research project conducted as part of a planned doctoral dissertation and outlines directions for future empirical verification using quantitative methods.
Keywords
Abstract
The aim of this article is to present a conceptual model explaining the impact of horizontal relationships in an organization on innovative employee behavior. In particular, the study focuses on interpersonal trust, peer support, and knowledge sharing as key dimensions of non-hierarchical workplace relationships that may foster the generation, promotion, and implementation of new ideas by employees. The proposed framework integrates the Resource-Based View (RBV), social exchange theory, and the concept of psychological safety in order to explain how social resources embedded in everyday coworker interactions can stimulate bottom-up innovation. The model also includes important mediating mechanisms, such as team identification, psychological safety, and intrinsic motivation, as well as potential moderators related to leadership style, organizational culture, and the degree of formalization within the organization. By emphasizing horizontal relations as valuable and difficult-to-imitate social resources, the article contributes to a better understanding of how innovation can emerge not only from formal structures and leadership, but also from peer-level interactions and collaborative climates. The paper constitutes a preliminary stage of a broader research project conducted as part of a planned doctoral dissertation and outlines directions for future empirical verification using quantitative methods.
