The impact of organizational commitment on innovative work behavior in TCM universities: A social-psychological driving mechanism perspective

This study examines the influence mechanisms of organizational commitment on innovative work behavior among Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) university faculty from a social psychology-driven perspective in China's southwestern region. Employing social identity theory, social exchange theory, and environmental psychology frameworks, the research investigates how TCM universities' unique institutional environments shape faculty organizational attachment and innovative capacity. A survey of fewer than 500 TCM teachers utilized validated instruments measuring organizational commitment (25 items) and innovative work behavior (15 items) on 5-point Likert scales. Results reveal significant demographic influences on organizational commitment, with teaching experience showing a curvilinear pattern peaking at 6-10 years (M=5.9181), salary demonstrating threshold effects with highest earners (28,000 CNY) exhibiting strongest commitment (M=5.1289), and educational background emerging as the most robust predictor with postgraduate faculty showing significantly higher commitment than undergraduate counterparts (F=9.1718, p=.000). Multiple regression analysis indicates innovative work behavior (β=0.482, p=.000) and organizational commitment (β=0.199, p=.091) collectively explain 45% of performance variance. The three-dimensional commitment structure encompasses emotional satisfaction (69% acceptance), professional strength (69.4% acceptance), and environmental adaptability (71.2% acceptance). Findings demonstrate that environmental factors and cultural preservation missions create synergistic conditions facilitating innovative behaviors through enhanced self-efficacy and professional identity alignment, contributing theoretical foundations for strategic human resource management in TCM education contexts.