Turning Initiative into Impact: How Resources Sustain Employee Championing

What is it about?

This study investigates why some proactive employees successfully champion new ideas—convincing others to support change—while others do not. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, the authors argue that employees’ ability to turn initiative into influence depends on both personal and organizational resources that fuel and direct their energy. Using survey data from employees in a Mozambican banking organization, the researchers find that people with proactive personalities—those who naturally take initiative and seek improvement—are more likely to mobilize support for innovation when they also feel confident in their persuasive abilities (persuasion self-efficacy) and excited about their jobs (job enthusiasm). Similarly, when employees enjoy informal social connections with coworkers and believe their organization supports change, they feel safer and more motivated to champion ideas that challenge the status quo. These results suggest that being proactive is not enough; it must be backed by confidence, enthusiasm, and a supportive organizational environment. In contexts where innovation can be risky—such as Mozambique’s competitive and uncertain banking sector—employees’ willingness to advocate for change depends on whether they can draw upon these reinforcing resources. The study shows that personal and organizational energy resources work together to sustain the courage and persistence needed to turn ideas into action.

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Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This study is unique because it integrates four complementary resources—two personal (persuasion self-efficacy and job enthusiasm) and two organizational (social interaction and support for change)—into a single model explaining when proactive employees become successful idea champions. It extends COR theory by showing that both personal confidence and social context enable employees to convert initiative into innovation, even under resistance. It is also timely, as organizations increasingly depend on employee-driven innovation during times of uncertainty. Conducted in Mozambique, a non-Western, high-uncertainty environment, it highlights how confidence, enthusiasm, and supportive cultures empower employees to promote change constructively. The findings underscore a vital managerial insight: fostering self-belief, social bonds, and openness to change transforms everyday proactivity into sustained innovation.