The Role of Job Motivation in Shaping Innovative Behavior: The Mediating Role of Job Enthusiasm Among Elementary School Teachers in Birjand

Introduction The need for education, fostering creativity, and encouraging innovative thinking and behavior is crucial for building a prosperous society. This is particularly significant in primary education, as it plays a formative role in students’ cognitive, biological and social development. Primary education also serves as a vehicle for passing on beliefs, ethics, customs, values, and skills to the next generation, while creating an environment conducive to the growth of students’ innate talents and abilities. As a result, these talents and academic performance can flourish. In this context, some researchers suggest that an organization’s focus on creating a motivating environment can foster innovative behavior. Motivated employees tend to exhibit more innovative behaviors because they approach their tasks with greater passion and commitment, pay closer attention to creative responsibilities, and develop stronger emotional connections to their work. Therefore, job motivation is one variable that appears to influence teachers' innovative behavior. However, a key question arises: Is this relationship direct, or is it mediated by other factors? Given the impact that job motivation can have on an organization, it seems plausible that job motivation may influence teachers’ innovative behavior through its effect on job enthusiasm. Hence, this study examines the role of job motivation in promoting innovative behavior, with a focus on the mediating role of job enthusiasm among primary education teachers in Birjand.Methodology This research employs a quantitative, applied and correlational methodology. The statistical population consists of all elementary school teachers in Birjand during the 2011-2012 academic year (900 teachers). Based on the Morgan and Krejcie’s (1970) table, 270 participants were selected as the research sample using a multi-stage cluster sampling method. First, Birjand was divided into three districts: North, South and Central. Schools were randomly selected from each district, and all teachers from the selected schools participated in the study. To account for possible sample attrition, the final sample size was set at 280 participants, with a significance level of 0.01. Data collection instruments included Kanter’s (1988) Innovative Behavior Questionnaire, Herzberg’s (1966) Job Motivation Questionnaire, and Salanova and Schaufeli’s (2001) Job Enthusiasm Questionnaire. Kanter’s Innovative Behavior Questionnaire comprises eight questions, scored on a five-point Likert scale ranging from completely disagree to completely agree. The minimum possible score is 8, and the maximum is 40, with higher scores indicating greater innovative behavior. Herzberg’s Job Motivation Questionnaire consists of 40 items, also scored on a five-point Likert scale from completely disagree to completely agree. Scores between 40 and 80 indicate weak motivation, scores between 80 and 160 reflect moderate motivation, and scores above 160 indicate strong motivation. Salanova and Schaufeli’s Job Enthusiasm Questionnaire includes 17 questions, divided into three dimensions: Vigor (questions 1–6), Dedication (questions 7–11), and Absorption (questions 12–17). This questionnaire is also scored on a five-point Likert scale, with scores ranging from 1 (completely disagree) to 5 (completely agree). The total score ranges from 17 to 85, with higher scores representing higher levels of job enthusiasm. The reliability of the questionnaires in this study was 0.92, 0.86 and 0.89, respectively. Data were analyzed using statistical regression tests and path analysis, with a significance level of 0.05. FindingsThe results revealed a positive and significant relationship between job motivation and job enthusiasm, as well as between job enthusiasm and innovative behavior. Specifically, increased job motivation leads to higher levels of job enthusiasm, which in turn promotes innovative behavior. The Sobel test confirmed that job enthusiasm mediates the relationship between job motivation and innovative behavior among elementary school teachers in Birjand. The indirect effect of job motivation on innovative behavior through enthusiasm was 0.49, and this relationship was positive. In other words, as job motivation increases, job enthusiasm also rises, resulting in higher levels of innovative behavior.Conclusion Based on the findings of this research, it can be concluded that job motivation comprises a set of internal and external forces that initiate work-related behaviors and determine their form, direction, intensity, and persistence. Career motivation drives individuals to perform tasks or behaviors, and the higher a teacher's job motivation, the more effective and creative they can be in the classroom. Therefore, job motivation can serve as a catalyst for change within organizations, particularly in educational institutions, by fostering job enthusiasm and promoting innovative behavior among teachers. To enhance this dynamic, it is recommended that teachers be encouraged and recognized for their ideas and contributions. A well-designed performance evaluation and reward system can boost motivation and enthusiasm, leading to greater creativity and innovation in the workplace.