Antecedents and Mediating Mechanisms of Proactive Behavior: Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior

Abstract

While there is burgeoning interest in proactive behavior in today's workplaces, very little is known about cognitive mechanisms by which employees engage in proactive behavior. Drawing on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), we explored critical antecedents and cognitive mechanisms of proactive behavior in Asian work contexts. The results of structural equation modeling analyses conducted for 138 supervisor-subordinate dyads in Korean firms supported most of the propositions of the TPB. Learning goal orientation was found to be associated with proactive behavior through attitudes toward proactive behavior. Perceived organizational support was related to proactive behavior through the intervening mechanisms of subjective norms and intention. Job autonomy predicted proactive behavior through the mediating processes of perceived behavioral control and intention. These findings have meaningful implications for the literature on proactive behavior.