Cultivating Well-Being and Creativity: How Biophilic Work Culture and Leadership Drive Innovative Work Behavior

Abstract

This conceptual paper introduces the innovative framework that shows how biophilic organizational inputs are mediated by a restorative Employee Experience to produce Innovative Work Behavior (IWB). In this ever more digitalized and pressurized business world, cognitive fatigue and creativity blockages are at an all-time high. This study aims to tackle this issue by combining three major theories: the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, the Attention Restoration Theory (ART), and the Biophilia Hypothesis. It is to be noted that we distinguish between the two types of job resources in the environment, Biophilic Work Culture and Biophilic Leadership, as complementary and separate structural and relational resources. The framework describes the theory behind the assumption that these biophilic resources can induce ‘soft fascination’ in cognition that would be expected to reduce stress and restore the limited directed-attention capacity necessary for creative problem solving. Thus, it is suggested that the key transformative pathway between nature-integrated workplace environments and discretionary innovative behaviors is the cognitive rejuvenation. To validate the propositions of the model, a multi-wave, time-lagged empirical testing strategy is set forth which is based on PLS-SEM. These relationships are specifically identified as being mediated by boundary conditions, such as individual differences in nature relatedness, organizational dimensions of culture and variation in workplace design. Finally, this paper connects the dots between ecopsychology and corporate management, outlining a viable path for leaders to enter the world of innovation and share the power by investing wisely in natural resources for human health, and identifying where the statements are theoretical until proven through empirical research.