A multilevel examination of proactive work behaviors: Contextual and individual differences as antecedents

In this study, the process through which individual differences (i.e., proactive personality, psychological empowerment, and servant leader characteristics at level-1) and contextual differences (i.e., servant leadership characteristics at level-2) are antecedents to proactive work behaviors (i.e., problem prevention, individual innovation, voice, and taking charge) was tested. Results indicated that psychological empowerment partially mediated the relationship between proactive personality and individual innovation. Psychological empowerment fully mediated the relationship between proactive personality and taking charge. Proactive personality was indirectly related to problem prevention, via psychological empowerment. Psychological empowerment was directly related to voice. In addition, servant leader characteristics at level-1 were positively related to psychological empowerment and each of the four proactive work behaviors. Psychological empowerment partially mediated the relationship between servant leader characteristics at level-1, problem prevention, and taking charge. It fully mediated the relationship between servant leader characteristics at level-1 and individual innovation. Servant leader characteristics at level-1 were indirectly related to voice, via psychological empowerment. Relationships were not found between servant leader characteristics at level-2, and psychological empowerment, or proactive work behaviors