The interaction effect of interpersonal trust and system trust on employee innovative behavior

Purpose Previous studies on the relationship between trust and employee innovation have often overlooked the essential role of innovation components in developing theoretical explanations, resulting in limited conceptual clarity and analytical precision. Drawing on the dynamic componential model of innovation, this study develops a theoretical framework to examine how interpersonal trust and system trust shape employee innovation. This study further aims to investigate how these two forms of trust interact to jointly influence innovative behavior. Design/methodology/approach This study tests its hypotheses using multiple linear regression, based on data collected from a questionnaire survey of employees at companies located in Jiangsu Province. Findings The results show that both interpersonal trust and system trust significantly promote employee innovative behavior. Moreover, their interaction strengthens this effect, with each form of trust enhancing the influence of the other on innovation outcomes. Originality/value This paper contributes by offering a theoretical explanation of how interpersonal and system trust influence employee innovation, and by identifying the interaction effect between the two forms of trust on employee innovation.