How to stimulate employees’ innovative behavior: Internal social capital, workplace friendship and innovative identity

With the digital transformation of the economy and the rise of community innovation, how stimulating employees’ innovative behavior (EIB) becomes the basis for building sustainable competitive advantage in organizations. However, research has yet to systematically investigate the effect of internal social capital (ISC) on EIB. Based on social identity theory and resource conservation theory, this paper constructs a model to explain the mediating role of II between ISC and EIB and the moderating role of workplace friendship (WF). Using SPSS 27 and Amos 24 to analyze the data of 284 questionnaires, the results show that (1) ISC has a positive effect on EIB, (2) II plays a partial mediating effect in the relationship between ISC and EIB, and (3) WF has a positive moderating effect on the relationship between ISC and EIB. The conclusion provides management insight and practical guidance for creating an internal organizational climate to promote EIBs.