Linking team learning climate to innovative work behavior through job satisfaction and employee commitment

Purpose This paper aims to examine the role of team learning climate (TLC) in fostering innovative work behavior (IWB) of employees with particular attention to the mediating roles of job satisfaction (JS) and employee commitment (EC) to further elaborate on this relationship. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through surveys from 257 employees working in Indian public and private sector organizations. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling, the study tests both direct and mediated relationships among the constructs. Findings Results show that TLC is significantly and positively associated with IWB, with JS and EC serving as key mediators. The sequential mediation pathway (TLC → JS → EC → IWB) further illustrates how learning-oriented environments may support innovation through affective and attitudinal mechanisms. Employees perceiving supportive learning conditions report higher satisfaction, which strengthens their commitment and, in turn, encourages greater engagement in innovation. Originality/value Grounded in social exchange theory and conservation of resources theory, this study makes an incremental but meaningful theoretical contribution by empirically testing a serial mediation model in which TLC influences IWB sequentially through JS and EC advancing beyond pairwise examinations of these constructs in prior research. The findings offer contextual evidence from Indian manufacturing organizations and provide actionable guidance for HRD practitioners designing learning-oriented team environments.