IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i11p6599-d826730.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Relationship between Employee Mental Health and Job Performance: Mediation Role of Innovative Behavior and Work Engagement

Author

Listed:
  • Xifeng Lu

    (College of Accounting, Jilin University of Finance and Economics, Changchun 130117, China)

  • Haijing Yu

    (School of Business and Management, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China)

  • Biaoan Shan

    (School of Business and Management, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China)

Abstract

The relationship between employee mental health and job performance has been one of the key concerns in workplace. However, extant studies suffer from incomplete results due to their focus on developed economies’ contexts and the unclear path of employee mental health’s impact on performance. In this paper, we investigate the mechanism of employee mental health influencing job performance. We use the data of Chinese firms to test these hypotheses. Drawing on a sample of 239 firms from China, we find that employee mental health positively impacts job performance, and such relationship is mediated by innovative behavior and work engagement. The findings not only enrich the discipline’s knowledge on mental health in an emerging economy setting but also extend the implications of mental health, innovative behavior, and work engagement to job performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Xifeng Lu & Haijing Yu & Biaoan Shan, 2022. "Relationship between Employee Mental Health and Job Performance: Mediation Role of Innovative Behavior and Work Engagement," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-12, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:11:p:6599-:d:826730
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/11/6599/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/11/6599/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Irena Burić & Ivana Macuka, 2018. "Self-Efficacy, Emotions and Work Engagement Among Teachers: A Two Wave Cross-Lagged Analysis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(7), pages 1917-1933, October.
    2. Andrew H. Van de Ven & Douglas Polley, 1992. "Learning While Innovating," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 3(1), pages 92-116, February.
    3. Julio Suárez-Albanchez & Juan Jose Blazquez-Resino & Santiago Gutierrez-Broncano & Pedro Jimenez-Estevez, 2021. "Occupational Health and Safety, Organisational Commitment, and Turnover Intention in the Spanish IT Consultancy Sector," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-13, May.
    4. Kwon-Soo Kim, 2019. "The Influence of Hotels High-Commitment HRM on Job Engagement of Employees: Mediating Effects of Workplace Happiness and Mental Health," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 14(2), pages 507-525, April.
    5. Maw–Der Foo, 2011. "Emotions and Entrepreneurial Opportunity Evaluation," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 35(2), pages 375-393, March.
    6. Charlotta Sirén & Vivianna Fang He & Henrik Wesemann & Zoe Jonassen & Dietmar Grichnik & Georg von Krogh, 2020. "Leader Emergence in Nascent Venture Teams: The Critical Roles of Individual Emotion Regulation and Team Emotions," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(5), pages 931-961, July.
    7. Tobias Kollmann & Christoph Stöckmann & Yvonne Meves & Julia M. Kensbock, 2017. "When members of entrepreneurial teams differ: linking diversity in individual-level entrepreneurial orientation to team performance," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 48(4), pages 843-859, April.
    8. Kathleen M. Eisenhardt & Jeffrey A. Martin, 2000. "Dynamic capabilities: what are they?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(10‐11), pages 1105-1121, October.
    9. Jiang, Shan, 2020. "Psychological well-being and distress in adolescents: An investigation into associations with poverty, peer victimization, and self-esteem," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    10. Biaoan Shan & Xiaoju Liu & Anwei Gu & Runxuan Zhao, 2022. "The Effect of Occupational Health Risk Perception on Job Satisfaction," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-14, February.
    11. Rosenbusch, Nina & Brinckmann, Jan & Bausch, Andreas, 2011. "Is innovation always beneficial? A meta-analysis of the relationship between innovation and performance in SMEs," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 441-457, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Dina Pereira & João Leitão & Ludovina Ramos, 2022. "Burnout and Quality of Work Life among Municipal Workers: Do Motivating and Economic Factors Play a Mediating Role?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-17, October.
    2. Olga Valentim & Luís de Sousa & Cristina de Sousa & Tânia Correia & José Carlos Carvalho & Ana Querido & Helena José & Carlos Laranjeira, 2025. "Positive Mental Health and Happiness at Work in a Sample of Portuguese Workers: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Study," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-14, February.
    3. John Rodwell & Andre Gulyas & Dianne Johnson, 2022. "The New and Key Roles for Psychological Contract Status and Engagement in Predicting Various Performance Behaviors of Nurses," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-14, October.
    4. Ginevra Malta & Fulvio Plescia & Emanuele Cannizzaro, 2025. "Exploring the Impact of Obesity and Insomnia on Work Productivity: Insights for Occupational Health and Sustainability in the Workplace," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-16, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Simona Alfiero & Laura Broccardo & Massimo Cane & Alfredo Esposito, 2018. "High Performance Through Innovation Process Management in SMEs. Evidence from the Italian wine sector," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2018(3), pages 87-110.
    2. Hana Kim & Eungdo Kim, 2018. "How an Open Innovation Strategy for Commercialization Affects the Firm Performance of Korean Healthcare IT SMEs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-14, July.
    3. Jean, Ruey Jer “Bryan” & Kim, Daekwan & Bello, Daniel C., 2017. "Relationship-based product innovations: Evidence from the global supply chain," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 127-140.
    4. Raffaele Fiorentino & Sergio Longobardi & Carla Morrone & Alessandro Scaletti, 2024. "Educational heterogeneity of the founding team of innovative start-ups: confirmations and denials," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 2347-2367, September.
    5. Yunis, Manal & Tarhini, Abbas & Kassar, Abdulnasser, 2018. "The role of ICT and innovation in enhancing organizational performance: The catalysing effect of corporate entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 344-356.
    6. André van Stel & Lorraine Uhlaner & Haibo Zhou & Valerie Duplat, 2012. "Disentangling the effects of organizational capabilities, innovation and firm size on SME sales growth," Scales Research Reports H201211, EIM Business and Policy Research.
    7. Patricio Duran & Nadine Kammerlander & Marc van Essen & Thomas Zellweger, 2016. "Doing More with Less : Innovation Input and Output in Family Firms," Post-Print hal-02276703, HAL.
    8. Ijaz Hussain & Shaohong Mu & Muhammad Mohiuddin & Rizwan Qaiser Danish & Shrafat Ali Sair, 2020. "Effects of Sustainable Brand Equity and Marketing Innovation on Market Performance in Hospitality Industry: Mediating Effects of Sustainable Competitive Advantage," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-19, April.
    9. Cepeda, Gabriel & Vera, Dusya, 2007. "Dynamic capabilities and operational capabilities: A knowledge management perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 60(5), pages 426-437, May.
    10. Ossi Pesämaa, 2017. "Personnel- and action control in gazelle companies in Sweden," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 28(1), pages 107-132, February.
    11. Freixanet, Joan & Renart, Gemma, 2020. "A capabilities perspective on the joint effects of internationalization time, speed, geographic scope and managers’ competencies on SME survival," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(6).
    12. Carmen González-Velasco & Marcos González-Fernández & José-Luis Fanjul-Suárez, 2019. "Does innovative effort matter for corporate performance in Spanish companies in a context of financial crisis? A fuzzy-set QCA approach," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 56(5), pages 1707-1727, May.
    13. Hyytinen, Ari & Pajarinen, Mika & Rouvinen, Petri, 2015. "Does innovativeness reduce startup survival rates?," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 564-581.
    14. Klaus Uhlenbruck & Klaus E. Meyer & Michael A. Hitt, 2003. "Organizational Transformation in Transition Economies: Resource‐based and Organizational Learning Perspectives," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(2), pages 257-282, March.
    15. Stela Ivanova & Theresa Treffers & Fred Langerak & Markus Groth, 2023. "Holding Back or Letting Go? The Effect of Emotion Suppression on Relationship Viability in New Venture Teams," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 47(4), pages 1460-1495, July.
    16. Power Jane & Power Bernadette & Ryan Geraldine, 2022. "Determinants of equity financing: a demand-side analysis of Irish indigenous technology-based firms," The Irish Journal of Management, Sciendo, vol. 41(1), pages 52-68, July.
    17. de Mol, Eva & Cardon, Melissa S. & de Jong, Bart & Khapova, Svetlana N. & Elfring, Tom, 2020. "Entrepreneurial passion diversity in new venture teams: An empirical examination of short- and long-term performance implications," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 35(4).
    18. Asghar Afshar Jahanshahi & Alexander Brem, 2017. "Sustainability in SMEs: Top Management Teams Behavioral Integration as Source of Innovativeness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-16, October.
    19. Herman Belgraver & Ernst Verwaal, 2018. "Organizational capital, production factor resources, and relative firm size in strategic equity alliances," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 50(4), pages 825-849, April.
    20. Yang, Yi & Narayanan, V.K. & Zahra, Shaker, 2009. "Developing the selection and valuation capabilities through learning: The case of corporate venture capital," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 24(3), pages 261-273, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:11:p:6599-:d:826730. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.