In the context of rapidly evolving public health challenges, the capacity for innovative work behavior (IWB) among health sector employees is increasingly vital to ensure adaptive and responsive healthcare delivery. This study examines the influence of talent management and psychological empowerment on IWB among employees of the Garut City Health Service in Indonesia. Drawing upon resource-based theory and self-determination theory, the study conceptualizes talent management as a strategic approach encompassing talent acquisition, development, retention, and succession planning. Psychological empowerment, defined through meaning, competence, self-determination, and impact, is explored as a cognitive-motivational state that may mediate the relationship between talent management and innovative behavior. Data were collected from 221 civil servants using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The findings reveal that talent management significantly positively affects both psychological empowerment and IWB. Moreover, psychological empowerment partially mediates, indicating that employees’ perceptions of autonomy and competence are essential to translate talent initiatives into innovative outcomes. This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of innovation in the public health sector by integrating HRM and organizational behavior perspectives. Practically, it highlights the importance of cultivating psychologically empowered environments to stimulate innovation within bureaucratic health institutions. The results provide evidence-based guidance for public sector leaders aiming to foster innovation through strategic investment in human capital. Implications for theory, policy, and future research are discussed, particularly in the context of decentralization and healthcare reform in developing countries.
Sanusi et al. (2025) studied this question.