The Mediating Effect of Employee Motivation on Multi-Product Innovation and Firm Performance: A Conceptual Perspective

Although multi-product innovation is the key to firms’ growth, survival and performance, some innovative firms have folded up. This has stoked academic and professional debate about what should constitute the innovative drive of firms in order for them to survive the ever increasing competitive business environment. This article, therefore, seeks to examine the mediating role of employee motivation in fostering effective multi-product innovation which shall ultimately lead to better firm performance. We put forward a conceptual framework to explain the potential mediating role of employee motivation on multi-product innovation and firm performance. We posit that employee motivation positively mediates multi-product innovation in relation to firm performance.