Table 7 Future research directions and... | Emerald Publishing

Table 7

Future research directions and sample questions

Directions for future research	Relevance and explanation	Sample questions
General	This domain is the outcome of the SLR and content analysis findings of the study	What proactive behaviors are triggered similarly at work, and which ones are triggered differently? Do some proactive behaviors interact with or even contradict each other to affect individual and organizational outcomes? What role do proactive behaviors play as mechanisms in relation to individual and organizational outcomes? Can proactive behaviors act as contextual variables to explain organizational phenomena? Can proactive personality or behaviors act as a positive reinforcement feedback loop (i.e. recursively), and when does this happen? Can we learn about new types of proactive behaviors not yet unraveled in research? Can proactivity as a research domain be tapped from an interdisciplinary approach?
Organizational complexity	As opposed to organizational modernity (Parker and Bindl, 2016), organizational complexity symbolized by paradox theory (Smith and Lewis, 2011) can inform research on proactive behaviors	What types of paradoxes (organizing, belonging, performing, learning) can prompt different types of proactive behaviors in organizations? Can proactive behaviors act as mitigators to encountering paradoxes in organizations? Do positive organizational outcomes such as innovation (Miron-Spektor et al., 2018) be sparked by proactive behaviors when employees experience tensions at work? What proactive behaviors lend themselves to affecting positive organizational and individual level outcomes when paradoxes are encountered at work, and which proactive behaviors do not have the same effect and why?
Place (national level or values; organizational level)	Like Parker and Bindl (2016), who emphasize time as germane characteristics in exploring proactivity research, we emphasize place in the form of national cultural differences (Taras et al., 2012) or values (Dorfman and Howell, 1988) to open up future avenues for research. Further, we account for potential impacts of organizational cultures (Allaire and Firsirotu, 1984)	In what national or organizational cultures are proactive behaviors or proactive personality encouraged or frowned upon in work settings? Do national or organizational cultures interact with different types of proactive behaviors in meaningful ways? Do proactive behaviors promote dissimilar work outcomes, behaviors, or attitudes contingent on national or organizational cultural contexts or values?
Place (industry level)	The role specific industries play in relation to proactive behaviors	Do organizational actors exhibit different forms of proactive behaviors in male-dominated versus female-dominated industries? Can some aggregated industry level differences be linked to the prevalence of certain types of proactive behaviors?
Persons	The relationship between the diversity concept and proactivity (minorities in the workplace, expats, refugees, etc.)	How and when do diverse employees engage in proactive behaviors? Is proactive personality encouraged or suppressed by status in an organization (e.g. member of demographic minority)? What organizational factors or leader or employee characteristics promote or discourage proactive behaviors at work? Do diverse employees engage in certain proactive behaviors but not others?
Societal issues	Extending discussions in Parker and Bindl (2016) on societal problems that can be addressed by proactive behaviors	Can some or all types of proactive behaviors be linked to the UN sustainable goals (e.g. gender equality)?

Directions for future research	Relevance and explanation	Sample questions
General	This domain is the outcome of the SLR and content analysis findings of the study	What proactive behaviors are triggered similarly at work, and which ones are triggered differently? Do some proactive behaviors interact with or even contradict each other to affect individual and organizational outcomes? What role do proactive behaviors play as mechanisms in relation to individual and organizational outcomes? Can proactive behaviors act as contextual variables to explain organizational phenomena? Can proactive personality or behaviors act as a positive reinforcement feedback loop (i.e. recursively), and when does this happen? Can we learn about new types of proactive behaviors not yet unraveled in research? Can proactivity as a research domain be tapped from an interdisciplinary approach?
Organizational complexity	As opposed to organizational modernity (Parker and Bindl, 2016), organizational complexity symbolized by paradox theory (Smith and Lewis, 2011) can inform research on proactive behaviors	What types of paradoxes (organizing, belonging, performing, learning) can prompt different types of proactive behaviors in organizations? Can proactive behaviors act as mitigators to encountering paradoxes in organizations? Do positive organizational outcomes such as innovation (Miron-Spektor et al., 2018) be sparked by proactive behaviors when employees experience tensions at work? What proactive behaviors lend themselves to affecting positive organizational and individual level outcomes when paradoxes are encountered at work, and which proactive behaviors do not have the same effect and why?
Place (national level or values; organizational level)	Like Parker and Bindl (2016), who emphasize time as germane characteristics in exploring proactivity research, we emphasize place in the form of national cultural differences (Taras et al., 2012) or values (Dorfman and Howell, 1988) to open up future avenues for research. Further, we account for potential impacts of organizational cultures (Allaire and Firsirotu, 1984)	In what national or organizational cultures are proactive behaviors or proactive personality encouraged or frowned upon in work settings? Do national or organizational cultures interact with different types of proactive behaviors in meaningful ways? Do proactive behaviors promote dissimilar work outcomes, behaviors, or attitudes contingent on national or organizational cultural contexts or values?
Place (industry level)	The role specific industries play in relation to proactive behaviors	Do organizational actors exhibit different forms of proactive behaviors in male-dominated versus female-dominated industries? Can some aggregated industry level differences be linked to the prevalence of certain types of proactive behaviors?
Persons	The relationship between the diversity concept and proactivity (minorities in the workplace, expats, refugees, etc.)	How and when do diverse employees engage in proactive behaviors? Is proactive personality encouraged or suppressed by status in an organization (e.g. member of demographic minority)? What organizational factors or leader or employee characteristics promote or discourage proactive behaviors at work? Do diverse employees engage in certain proactive behaviors but not others?
Societal issues	Extending discussions in Parker and Bindl (2016) on societal problems that can be addressed by proactive behaviors	Can some or all types of proactive behaviors be linked to the UN sustainable goals (e.g. gender equality)?

Source(s): Authors' own production