Introduction

With the increasingly severe global economic conditions and the rapid development of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, individuals seeking employment are encountering heightened pressures and challenges, which compels them to undertake roles that require skills or experience lower than their own capabilities. This phenomenon is referred to as overqualification, where individuals perceive that their skills, experience, or competencies exceed the requirements of the work (Maynard et al. 2006). Prior research has mainly focused on the negative consequences related to perceived overqualification (POQ), such as leading employees to experience a predicament of unfulfilled potential, resulting in reduced job satisfaction and occupational well-being, and ultimately prompting counterproductive workplace behaviors that are detrimental to the development of organizations (Arvan et al. 2019; Erdogan et al. 2018; Fine and Edward 2017; He and Li 2024; Ma et al. 2023; Zhao and Ma 2023). However, the latest research suggests that overqualified employees possess surplus abilities, experiences, and knowledge, which can serve as important resources that promote innovation in the workplace (Chu et al. 2021; Liu et al. 2024; Luksyte and Carpini 2024; Ma et al. 2024; Ma et al. 2023; Zhang et al. 2016; Zhang et al. 2021). This dichotomy highlights the complex nature of overqualification, prompting researchers to delve into how and when overqualified employees actively leverage their specialized knowledge and surplus experience to achieve personal goals while creating value for organizations, for instance, through innovative work behavior. Exploring these questions is theoretically and practically important because it allows for providing a new theoretical perspective on how to motivate employees in an environment where overqualification is prevalent, and providing proper practical recommendations for organizations and managers.

Previous work has primarily explained the effect of overqualification on innovation from the perspectives of creative interaction and social cognitive theory. Research from the creative interaction perspective posits that overqualification is directly reflected in the mismatch between job demands and employees’ abilities (Dar and Rahman 2024), meaning that employees’ abilities, skills and knowledge exceed the requirements of their positions. Supportive environments, characterized by elevated levels of informal status, positive leadership, or organizational support (Dar and Rahman 2024; Lu et al. 2023), can assist overqualified individual in effectively leveraging their skills to engage in innovative behaviors. Research grounded in social cognitive theory similarly indicates that employees facing overqualification tend to possess a favorable self-assessment of their competencies and skills. This positive self-perception empowers them to embrace a more pronounced paradox mindset, characterized by the recognition and acceptance of ongoing inconsistencies between conflicting forces. This allows them to view their own underutilization of talents from different perspectives, thereby exhibiting higher levels of innovation (e.g., Luksyte and Spitzmueller 2016; Wang and Duan 2022). While previous studies have emphasized that the surplus knowledge and abilities of overqualified employees are regarded as valuable and scarce resources for organizational innovation (Jiang et al. 2024), insufficient attention has been given to the process through which these employees harness their advantages to obtain additional resources and subsequently drive innovative behavior. Therefore, drawing on the conservation of resource theory (COR theory, Hobfoll 1989), this research will focus on understanding how overqualified employees engage in resource acquisition and utilization processes to overcome potential depletions and foster innovative work behavior.

Based on COR theory, individuals possessing more resources are better equipped to acquire further resources (Corollary 1). Moreover, as individuals gather resources, they enhance their capacity to invest in and acquire further resources (Corollary 3). As mentioned previously, POQ means that employees possess resources that surpass the demands of their positions, which likely motivates individuals to evaluate their job competence positively and cultivate resources they value centrally, such as having more confidence in carrying out a broader job role (Xu et al. 2022). This competence-based resource, in turn, can help them effectively utilize and invest their advantageous resources to gain additional resource benefits, such as using their specialized knowledge and experience for innovation. Consistent with COR theory, studies have shown that overqualified employees often harness their potential and seek out challenging tasks to validate their sense of self-worth, particularly when confronted with routine work assignments (Chu et al. 2021). They excel in meeting basic job requirements, leading them to believe they can handle more tasks (Gist and Mitchell 1992; Maynard et al. 2006; Parker 1998; Zhang et al. 2016). Moreover, Rodrigues and Rebelo (2023) argue that employees who possess high role breadth self-efficacy (RBSE) are inclined to participate in innovation. Therefore, it is plausible that RBSE mediates the link between POQ and innovation.

COR theory also proposes that the cultivation process of competence-based resources is contingent upon the satisfaction of this autonomy need (Halbesleben et al. 2014). Based on this notion, we further suggest that job autonomy, as a theoretically relevant moderator, moderates the link between POQ and RBSE. Job autonomy is defined as the extent to which employees possess the freedom and independence to plan their work schedules, make decisions, and choose the methods for carrying out their tasks (Hackman and Oldham 1975). According to COR theory, job autonomy serves as an organizational resource that can transform conventional demands into factors that enhance performance levels (Halbesleben et al. 2014; Hobfoll et al. 2018). Previous studies have shown that even under job demands, such as a lack of opportunities to utilize one’s knowledge and experience, employees with work autonomy can maintain a high level of job performance (Halbesleben et al. 2014; Hobfoll et al. 2018; Kiazad et al. 2014). Moreover, job autonomy reflects managers’ trust and recognition of employees (Hobfoll 2011) and enhances work engagement and RBSE (Den Hartog and Belschak 2012; Debus et al. 2020), particularly in today’s competitive environments (Park and Searcy 2012). Therefore, job autonomy can enhance the RBSE of overqualified employees, which in turn further increases their innovative work behavior (see Fig. 1).

Fig. 1
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Conceptual model.

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By utilizing a highly prominent theory from job resource literature to understand why POQ promotes the development of competence-related resources and, in turn, fosters innovative work behavior, as well as the conditions under which this positive spillover process can be strengthened, this research makes primary contributions. First, we enhance the literature on overqualification by adopting a resource perspective to investigate how POQ affects innovative work behavior. Compared to previous studies that used the perspectives of creative interaction and social cognitive theory, our research illustrates the process by which overqualified employees gain and then invest and acquire even more resources. The central idea is that overqualified employees, driven by the need for resource preservation and development, are more likely to proactively seek opportunities to utilize their potential, cultivate competence-related resources, and achieve innovation to gain additional resources. Second, by examining the mediating role of RBSE between POQ and innovative behavior, we respond to scholars’ calls to explore additional self-efficacy constructs that reflect employees’ beliefs in their ability to contribute to the promotion and implementation of new ideas (e.g., Hammond et al. 2011; Potočnik et al. 2015). Since the implementation of innovations often demands heavy investment, innovative efforts frequently call for a strong sense of efficacy (Ng and Lucianetti 2016). Existing research primarily focuses on the positive role of general self-efficacy and innovation self-efficacy in promoting innovation, but the role of RBSE in the process of overqualified employees implementing innovations remains unclear. Finally, job autonomy is not only treated as an instrumental resource that influences individual resource allocation strategies (Hobfoll, 2011), but also as a fundamental component for innovation (Peng et al. 2019). Consequently, there have been calls from researchers for investigations into how job autonomy moderates the relationships between antecedents and innovation (Anderson et al. 2014; Peng et al. 2019). In response to this call, this study examines how job autonomy moderates the relationship between POQ and innovative behavior, with RBSE acting as a mediating factor.

Literature review

Perceived overqualification and innovative behavior

COR theory posits that individuals actively preserve and leverage their valuable personal resources, including professional knowledge, skills, and experience, as a means of self-regulation to adapt to diverse situations (Hobfoll et al. 2018). POQ refers to an individual’s conviction that their skills and experience exceed what is necessary for their current position (Maynard et al. 2006). Empirical evidence suggests that those with qualifications exceeding job requirements perceive themselves as highly capable, which not only motivates them to excel in their tasks but also prompts proactive engagement in innovative thinking (Chu et al. 2021). We argue that employees who experience overqualification will utilize their superior abilities to engage in positive actions aimed at addressing the misalignment between their skills and job requirements, ultimately enhancing the value of their jobs. These employees view their individual resources as significantly surpassing organizational expectations (Maynard et al. 2006), leading to heightened feelings of superiority and confidence. However, this elevated self-perception concurrently fosters a sense of mismatch, causing them to perceive their work as mundane and unchallenging, unable to fully utilize their talents (Erdogan and Bauer 2021). Consequently, they may experience conflict, disappointment, and dissatisfaction, driving them to seek additional opportunities. This pursuit increases their propensity to generate innovative ideas and execute initiatives that benefit the organization (Lee et al. 2021).Innovative work behavior, as defined by Huang (2004), encompasses activities like exploring novel ideas, devising solutions, and experimenting with new work methodologies. Social Cognitive Theory underscores the complex interplay among individuals, their environment, and behavior, forming a dynamic system where cognitive processes influence actions (Bandura 1986). This interaction can lead to innovative behavior in pursuit of work objectives and fulfillment of achievement needs. Overqualified employees, with their advanced knowledge, skills, education, work experience, and broader cognitive capacities such as divergent thinking and analogical reasoning, are predisposed to creative ideation and identifying innovation opportunities more effectively than their less-qualified counterparts (Khalili 2016; Tajasom et al. 2015). Their ability to expedite task completion also grants them extra time and energy to devote to exploratory creative endeavors (Luksyte and Spitzmueller 2016), thereby facilitating the ongoing enhancement of their innovative capabilities and the execution of innovative acts. In light of these considerations, we hypothesize that:

Hypothesis 1: POQ is positively associated with innovative work behavior.

The mediating role of RBSE

Based on the COR theory (Hobfoll et al. 2018), individuals experiencing POQ, who possess surplus qualifications beyond job requirements, engage in a process of resource conservation, acquisition, and augmentation to foster a resource gain spiral. Individuals, through evaluating task demands, assessing available resources and constraints, and attributing their performance levels, determine their self-efficacy, following the tripartite assessment framework posited by Gist and Mitchell (1992), thereby enhancing their resource base. RBSE, a specialized form of self-efficacy (Parker 1998), relates to an individual’s belief in their ability to manage a wide variety of job tasks. First, when evaluating task requirements, overqualified employees perceive their current job content as monotonous and lacking challenge, with tasks being of lower difficulty. Driven by a desire for self-actualization and a wish to utilize their full potential and showcase their talents (Parker and Collins 2010), these employees actively seek out tasks beyond their prescribed roles. Their abundant qualifications enable them to meet the demands of a broader range of tasks, which contributes to the development of RBSE following assessment (Chu et al. 2021). Second, employees who recognize their ample resources for task accomplishment experience fewer constraints in fulfilling these tasks, especially given their underutilized capacity which enables them to easily meet modest job demands (Zhang et al. 2016). This process contributes to a heightened sense of RBSE among overqualified employees. Lastly, POQ not only facilitates superior task completion but also garners respect from colleagues and managerial recognition. These employees tend to attribute such accolades to their own abilities (Lin et al. 2017), further enhancing their RBSE. Thus, through a meticulous appraisal of their work context and personal circumstances, overqualified employees attain a refined self-awareness and a more accurate grasp of their standing, culminating in elevated levels of RBSE. From the COR theory perspective, the enhancement of RBSE represents an investment of resources by overqualified employees to acquire new resources while safeguarding and maintaining existing ones, thereby perpetuating a positive cycle of resource accumulation and preservation.

Meanwhile, existing research has indicated that employees with a strong sense of RBSE tend to engage in innovation with enthusiasm and a positive attitude (Rodrigues and Rebelo 2023). Fundamentally, employees’ attitudes toward novel situations at work are largely shaped by their evaluation of whether they can adapt to these changes and continue to perform competently. Those with high RBSE are exceptionally confident in executing tasks beyond their technical remits, readily adapting to new work dynamics and trusting in their capability to excel (Hao et al. 2018). Moreover, this increased self-efficacy offers employees proactive psychological reinforcement. It nurtures their belief in overcoming challenges and motivates them to validate their worth through innovative actions while seeking recognition from the organization. Such individuals persist in exploring innovative thinking and advancing innovative behavior (Ng and Wang 2019).Grounded in the COR theory, this research posits that employees with POQ, through self-assessment, develop RBSE, which is further augmented through iterative cognitive refinement, leading to elevated levels of this specific self-efficacy. This high level of RBSE replenishes individual resources, aligning with the principle of resource gain spirals. At this point, employees are more inclined to implement resource-investing behaviors, such as innovation, which require the allocation of time, effort, and experiential capital. Based on these analyses, we expect that:

Hypothesis 2: RBSE mediates the link between POQ and innovative work behavior.

The moderating role of job autonomy

According to COR theory, individuals possessing autonomy can help them acquire competence-based resources and can even create a shift that enables them to achieve high levels of performance, even in typically demanding situations (Halbesleben et al. 2014; Hobfoll et al. 2018). For overqualified employees,engaging in a job that require fewer skills and experience than they possess can result in a lack of opportunities to utilize their skills and experience (Luksyte et al. 2011). Job autonomy is defined as the extent to which an employee has the independence and freedom to perform job tasks (Hackman and Oldham 1975). If employees possess job autonomy, they have the opportunity to independently organize their work methods and determine how to apply their knowledge, skills, and abilities (Wu et al. 2015; Zheng et al. 2024), which can effectively mitigate the negative experiences associated with being overqualified. Moreover, job autonomy, which reflects organizational managers’ trust and recognition of employees (Hobfoll, 2011), often leads to greater work engagement and enhanced RBSE among employees (Debus et al. 2020; Den Hartog and Belschak 2012). Therefore, overqualified employees with high levels of job autonomy not only have the freedom to adjust their work methods based on their specialized skills and experience to complete work efficiently but also experience positive reinforcement as their approaches are recognized by management (Luksyte and Spitzmueller 2016; Wu et al. 2017; Zhu et al. 2024). This, in turn, helps them accumulate competence-related resources, such as RBSE. Conversely, employees experiencing overqualification with low levels of job autonomy will face limited flexibility in work arrangements and execution, and may find it difficult to organize their work freely due to rigid work schedules and less flexible resources. This not only limits overqualified employees’ chances to utilize their specialized knowledge and experiences but also diminishes their sense of competence due to the inability to work more efficiently, leading to reduced confidence in handling broader job tasks. (Luksyte and Spitzmueller 2016; Wu et al. 2017; Zhu et al. 2024). As such, we propose:

Hypothesis 3: Job autonomy moderates the relationship between POQ and RBSE such that the positive relationship is strengthened when job autonomy is higher rather than lower.

Integrating Hypothesis 1 to Hypothesis 3, we propose a mediated moderation effect to explain when and how overqualified employees engender innovative work behavior. This study argues that if employees experiencing overqualification have a high level of job autonomy, they tend to generate positive experiences related to competence (e.g., RBSE), which in turn promotes employees’ exhibition of innovative work behaviors. Conversely, with a lower level of job autonomy, overqualified employees are less likely to experience RBSE because opportunities to exert their abilities are limited, which leads them to engage in less innovation. Thus, this research hypothesizes the following:

Hypothesis 4: Job autonomy moderates the indirect effect of POQ on innovative work behavior via RBSE, with this effect being strengthened at higher levels of job autonomy compared to lower levels.

Materials and methods

Participants

Data were collected through a two-time lagged process from 400 employees of five manufacturing companies located in Guangdong Province, China. Prior to the survey, we secured support from top managers, a step that is considered to boost response rates (Kim et al. 2022). The job of employees primarily involves product improvement and optimization, research and development, and design. Initially, each participant received a letter that briefly described the research project and informed them that their responses were voluntary and anonymous. To reduce potential common-method bias (CMB), we collected information at two different times. At time 1, employees completed measures of POQ, job autonomy, and demographic information. In total, 368 participants completed the survey. Two weeks later, at time 2, this study distributed questionnaires to assess employees’ RBSE and innovative work behavior. A total of 350 participants completed the survey. To ensure data quality, we followed recommendations by Altman and Bland (2007) and excluded incomplete forms (e.g., any survey responses with more than 10% missing data) and identified outliers using standard statistical methods (Shiffler 1988), such as calculating Z-scores (e.g., Z-score > 3), to remove cases that fell outside a predefined range. After matching the data and performing the necessary data cleaning procedures, the final sample consisted of 338 participants.

Measures

We followed Brislin’s (1970) procedures for translating and back translating all scales from English to Chinese. Unless specified, a 5-point Likert scale was employed for each of the survey questions, ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree.

Perceived overqualification

This study measured POQ using a nine-items scale (Cronbach’s α = 0.921) adapted from Maynard et al. (2006). Sample item was “I have job skills that are not required for this job”.

Role breadth self-efficacy

We assessed RBSE using a seven-item scale (Cronbach’s α = 0.887) developed by Parker (1998). Participants were asked to indicate their RBSE on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 = “not at all confident” to 5 = “very confident”. The sample item was “I can represent my work area in meetings with senior management”.

Job autonomy

This research measured job autonomy using a seven-item scale (Cronbach’s α = 0.873) developed by Kirmeyer and Shirom (1986). Example item was “I can arrange the content of my own work”.

Innovative work behavior

Innovative work behavior was measured using a twelve-item scale (Cronbach’s α = 0.951) developed by Huang (2004). The sample item was “I try to persuade others of the importance of new ideas or solutions”.

Control variables

Previous studies have found that gender and age (Bernerth and Aguinis 2016), education (Bogilović et al. 2017), type of post, and nature of enterprise (Zhao et al. 2019) affect innovation. We included these demographic controls in our models because their inclusion enhanced the observed effects. However, when control variables were not included, the overall pattern of results remained consistent with the models that included these variables.

Results

CMB test

To assess the credibility of the study, the responses of the first and last one hundred participants were analyzed, following the recommendation of Armstrong and Overton (1977). Paired sample t-tests were conducted to evaluate non-response biases, and the results indicated that there was no statistically significant difference between the early and late responses. Additionally, this study conducted Harman’s one-factor test to examine the potential CMB in our study (Podsakoff et al. 2003). The un-rotated factor analysis of the thirty-five items related to the focal variables showed that no single factor explained more than 40% of the variance in our study. The analysis revealed seven distinct factors, with a single factor accounting for only 26.815% of the total variance, suggesting that CMB was not present in this study. This is consistent with Podsakoff et al. (2003) and Lowry and Gaskin (2014), who contend that CMB presents when a single factor accounts for more than 40% of the variance. Thus, CMB was not a threat to our research results.

Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis

Table 1 presents descriptive statistics and the between-individual correlations among the study variables. This study found that POQ was positively associated with RBSE (r = 0.361, p < 0.001) as well as innovative work behavior (r = 0.499, p < 0.001). These findings provide support for the primary hypotheses.

Table 1 Means, standard deviations, and correlations across study variables.
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Hypothesis test

Hypothesis 1 posited that POQ is positively related to innovative work behavior. Table 2 shows that POQ positively predicted innovative work behavior (β = 0.541, SE = 0.047, p < 0.001). Thus, Hypothesis 1 was supported.

Table 2 Moderated mediation models of the relationship between perceived overqualification and innovative work behavior.
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Hypothesis 2 predicted that POQ has a positive indirect relationship with innovative work behavior via RBSE. Table 2 shows that POQ has a positive association with RBSE (β = 0.366, SE = 0.052, p < 0.001), and RBSE was positively related to innovative behavior (β = 0.446, SE = 0.043, p < 0.001). To test the indirect effect, we used case bootstrapping with 20,000 replications and evaluated the 95% bias corrected confidence intervals around the estimates. The results showed that the indirect effect of POQ on innovative work behavior via RBSE was statistically significant (β = 0.547, SE = 0.019, p < 0.001; 95% bias corrected CI [0.004, 0.141]). Consequently, Hypothesis 2 was confirmed.

Hypothesis 3 predicted that job autonomy moderates the link between POQ and RBSE. Prior to hypothesis testing, we mean-centered the predictor (POQ) and moderator (job autonomy) to minimize potential multicollinearity. Table 2 indicates that the interaction between POQ and job autonomy on RBSE was positive and significant (β = 0.089, SE = 0.036, p < 0.01). To examine the simple slopes of the moderating effect, we employed the procedures suggested by Preacher et al. (2006). Initially, we categorized job autonomy (i.e., the moderator) into two groups: a high group (+1 SD) and a low group (−1 SD). Then, we assessed the significance of the simple slopes. The moderating effect of job autonomy on the relationship between POQ and RBSE was presented in Fig. 2. As shown in Table 3, the results of simple slope test demonstrated that the relationship between POQ and RBSE was positively significant when job autonomy at a high level (β = 0.199, SE = 0.074, p < 0.001), and the relationship was non-significant when job autonomy was at a low level (β = 0.039, SE = 0.049, ns), supporting Hypothesis 3.

Fig. 2
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Moderating role of job autonomy on the relationship between POQ and RBSE.

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Table 3 Results of simple slope analyses.
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Hypothesis 4 predicted that job autonomy moderates the relation of POQ with innovation via RBSE. The results demonstrated that the indirect effect of POQ on innovation via RBSE was significant for employees with a higher level of job autonomy (indirect effect = 0.097, SE = 0.023, 95% bias corrected CI [0.051, 0.139]) and was non-significant for employees with a lower level of job autonomy (indirect effect = 0.018, SE = 0.029, 95% bias corrected CI [−0.033, 0.079]). Thus, Hypothesis 4 was supported.

Discussion

This study, based on COR theory, developed a mediated moderator model to explore how and when overqualified employees exhibit innovative work behavior. Our hypotheses were examined through a survey study conducted with a two-wave lag design. The findings suggest that POQ is positively related to employees’ innovative work behavior, and RBSE partially mediates the relationship between POQ and innovation. We further found that the indirect effect of POQ on innovative work behavior via RBSE is stronger when employees perceive high levels of job autonomy compared to low levels of job autonomy.

Theoretical implications

This study’s results make several contributions to existing research. Firstly, our findings help to advance POQ research. Initial studies predominantly examined the negative consequences associated with POQ (Arvan et al. 2019; Erdogan et al. 2018; Fine and Edward 2017) and typically posited that overqualification leads to unfavorable workplace environments (He and Li 2024; Ma et al. 2023). In fact, overqualification may also serve as an important foundation for individuals to engage in innovation (Chu et al. 2021; Liu et al. 2024). Earlier studies have mainly investigated the link between POQ and innovation through the perspectives of social cognitive theory and creative interaction (Dar and Rahman 2024; Lu et al. 2023; Luksyte and Spitzmueller 2016; Wang and Duan 2022). When overqualified employees are in supportive environments characterized by positive leadership or organizational support, or when they possess a positive self-cognition that fosters a paradox mindset, they are more likely to transform their experience and skills into innovative behavior. Our study also confirms that employees who are experiencing overqualification are not passive recipients of the status quo. Grounded in COR theory, this study highlights that overqualified employees, when faced with limited opportunities to effectively utilize their skills, take the initiative to identify avenues for maximizing their potential. They actively cultivate resources associated with their abilities and seek to acquire further resources through innovative efforts, motivated by the need to preserve and develop their existing resources.

Secondly, this research makes another contribution by confirming the mediating role of RBSE in the relationship between POQ and innovation. Innovative behavior represents a type of employee contribution to the organization (Leong and Rasli 2014) and demands substantial effort over a prolonged period, often with unpredictable results. This process frequently requires a strong sense of self-efficacy (Ng and Lucianetti 2016). While existing meta-analyses and literature reviews (Hammond et al. 2011; Potočnik et al. 2015) emphasize the importance of creative self-efficacy in fostering idea generation, the authors suggest further exploration of other self-efficacy constructs. These constructs may better capture employees’ confidence in promoting and implementing ideas. Our study, based on the perspective of COR theory, finds that overqualified individuals with greater resources (such as valuable work skills or experience) are better positioned to acquire additional resources (such as RBSE). As individuals gain these resources, they become more capable of investing in innovative work behavior and acquiring even more resources.

Thirdly, this study enhances existing research on POQ by integrating COR theory to identify the conditional factors that can significantly moderate the impact of overqualification on innovation. Additionally, it addresses the need for further exploration of the moderating effects of job autonomy on the relationships between antecedents and innovation, as emphasized by Anderson et al. (2014) and Peng et al. (2019). By integrating COR theory knowledge and previous research, job autonomy is not only viewed as an instrumental resource that could influence one’s resource allocation strategies (Hobfoll, 2011), but also as a foundational element for fostering innovation (Peng et al. 2019). Overqualified employees with high levels of job autonomy have the freedom to arrange work tasks independently and explore creative ideas. They are able to further cultivate and transform their experience and abilities, which exceed the actual requirements of their job, into stronger competitive capabilities. This, in turn, boosts employees’ confidence in taking on a broader range of challenging jobs, indirectly promoting innovative behavior that benefits organizational development.

Practical implications

The findings of this study offer important implications for management practices. Firstly, they indicate that a direct negative relationship between POQ and innovation may not exist. That is to say, organizations should focus on overqualified employees; their qualifications and experience exceeding job requirements can facilitate innovative behavior. Secondly, RBSE may serve as a significant mediating variable in the link between POQ and innovative work behavior. It can effectively mitigate the negative impacts associated with POQ. Therefore, organizations should place trust in overqualified employees, provide them with more recognition and encouragement, and enhance their self-efficacy. Third, in high job autonomy settings, employees who believe they have the freedom to manage their work flexibly are more inclined to recognize their potential and enhance their self-efficacy. This increased self-efficacy fosters greater confidence in tackling new and challenging tasks. Consequently, organizations can stimulate employees’ innovative potential by granting them the freedom to manage their tasks flexibly and guiding them to channel redundant resources into innovation activities aligned with organizational goals.

Conclusion

Based on COR theory, this study examines how POQ affects employees’ innovative behavior. The outcomes illustrate that POQ positively forecasts employees’ engagement in innovation. Moreover, RBSE serves as a partial mediator in the association between POQ and innovation, signifying its vital role in facilitating the transformation of overqualification perceptions into innovative actions. Additionally, job autonomy is revealed to exert a moderating effect on the link between POQ and RBSE, highlighting that this relationship is stronger when job autonomy is higher, thereby optimizing conditions for employees to leverage their excess qualifications towards expanded job roles and, ultimately, innovative endeavors.

Limitations and future research

First, the sample’s diversity is constrained, primarily comprising participants from five companies in Guangdong Province, China. This limitation impacts the generalizability of the findings. Thus, we recommend that future researchers broaden the sample by including organizations from various regions and sectors. Second, the research did not sufficiently consider the cross-level factors that contribute to the complexity of innovation. Employees’ innovative behaviors are influenced by individual, team, and organizational variables, which can vary with shifts in the external environment. Future studies should integrate organizational and environmental factors into the model to better understand the dynamic effects on innovative work behavior. Lastly, utilizing COR theory as a framework, this study examined how POQ drives individual innovative work behavior, focusing on the mediating role of competence-related resource (RBSE) and the moderating role of autonomy-related resource (job autonomy). Future research could explore the mediating effects of interpersonal resources, such as leader-member exchange and coworker exchange, on the link between POQ and innovative behavior, as well as the moderating influence of leader empowerment in this context.