Abstract: Proactive behavior at work is about bringing about or promoting changes in the organization. It involves self-initiation, anticipatory action, and change orientation. In organizational proactive behavior, example constructs including taking charge, proactive problem solving, personal initiative, making idiosyncratic-deals (i-deals), and proactive feedback seeking. In this paper, we first define proactive behavior based on previous literature and identify a higher-order construct of proactivity in the work place. Then we distinguish proactive behavior from related concepts, (e.g., creativity and adaptive behavior). After that, we describe a model delineating the antecedents and outcomes of proactive behavior, as well as moderators in the relationship between proactive behavior and the outcome variables. Lastly, we propose several future research avenues particularly for the unique cultural and economic background of China.

Key words: proactive behavior, proactivity, proactive performance