Purpose – In an ever-changing business environment, organizations have begun to recognize the importance of behaviors that emphasize employee initiative, such as making constructive suggestions for change and innovation (LePine and Van Dyne, 2001). Different initiatives have been taken by private and public organizations to leverage arts as potential drivers and motivational factors spurring people to act in a certain way and create value. However, we still lack research that builds on behavioral studies to investigate the relationship between arts-based initiatives and individual and group performance. This paper recognizes such limitations, shows the centrality of understanding human behavior to optimize performance-oriented actions, provides a theoretical framework that emphasizes behavior’s antecedents and consequences, and addresses the value of arts from both theoretical and practical perspectives in cultivating the right attitudes that have the potential to drive consequently people actions and performance.
Design/methodology/approach – This research is based on a thorough literature review including five major fields: human resource development, applied psychology, the knowledge-based view of the firm, performance management, and arts-based management. The purpose is to review the theoretical assumptions of each field and develop a theoretical framework that draws connections between arts-based initiatives, behavioral drivers, contextual factors, and human performance. This research will also draw on a few cases to provide empirical evidence on how arts-based initiatives affect human performance through behavioral alignment and outcomes.
Originality/value – This research provides a theoretical framework and empirical evidence on how arts-based initiatives drive behavior and human performance. This will help organizations to better understand the behavioral consequences of arts-based initiatives and how they translate into performance outcomes.
Practical implications – This research suggests new assumptions and perspectives that show the centrality of human behavior in organizations and lays the foundations of a behavior-based performance management model. Such an understanding will help both scholars and practitioners develop theories and tools linking arts-based investments to individual and organizational performance outcomes.
Keywords – behavior-based performance, arts-based initiatives, behavior antecedents, behavior consequences, performance management