Definition of Proactive Work Behavior (PWB)

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Proactive Work Behavior (PWB) is an important topic. Proactivity is significant in the workplace nowadays, where there are more competition and greater pressure for innovation [1].

Research on proactivity has not come out “as an integrated research stream in the organizational behaviour literature. There is no single definition, theory, or measure driving this body of work; rather, researchers have adopted a number of different approaches…and they have examined them in a number of seemingly disconnected literatures” [2].

I use the following definition:

Proactive work behavior (PWB) is “taking control of and bringing about change within the internal organizational environment” [3]. It examines proactive work behaviour focusing on “taking charge,” “voice,” “individual innovation,” and “problem prevention” [4].

“Taking charge entails voluntary and constructive efforts, by individual employees, to effect organizationally functional change with respect to how work is executed within the contexts of their jobs, work units, or organizations. It…is inherently change oriented and aimed at improvement” [5]. An exemplifying behaviour of taking charge is trying to create ameliorated processes in the work context [6].

“Voice is [a] promotive behavior that emphasizes expression of constructive challenge intended to improve rather than merely criticize. Voice is making innovative suggestions for change and recommending modifications to standard procedures even when others disagree” [7]. An exemplifying behaviour of voice is communicating your points of view related to issues at work to colleagues despite the fact that your perceptions vary and others do not agree [8].

Individual innovation starts with problem recognition and the generation of ideas or solutions, either novel or adopted” [9]. Then, the person,

“…seeks sponsorship for an idea…[and] finally completes the idea by producing a prototype or model of the innovation…that can be touched or experienced, that can now be diffused, mass-produced, turned to productive use, or institutionalized…Thus, innovation is viewed here as a multistage process, with different activities and different individual behaviours necessary at each stage” [10].

Problem prevention is defined as follows. “The long-term focus on work enables the individual to consider things to come (new demands, new or reoccurring problems, emerging opportunities) and to do something proactively about them. Thus, problems and opportunities are anticipated, and the person prepares to deal with them immediately” [11]. An exemplifying behaviour of problem prevention is aiming to discover the real cause of issues that are mistaken [12].