*5.1. Theoretical Implications*

There are several theoretical implications. Firstly, this study explores the relationship between employee mental health and job performance and tests it in a Chinese context. The important role of employees' mental health in an organization is a concern for existing scholars. More and more studies observe that mental health strongly influences the individual performance and organizational performance. However, previous studies examine the mental health-job performance relationship in developed countries. Few studies test the relationship in emerging economies such as China. Using the samples from China, we find a positive relationship. By doing so, the findings of this study contribute to the literature on the roles of employees' mental health in an emerging economy.

Secondly, we identify two types of employee behaviors and analyze their impacts on job performance. Work engagement and innovative behavior are important behaviors that may influence individual work efficiency. In this study, we explore the impacts of work engagement and innovative behavior on job performance. By doing so, the findings extend the antecedents of job performance.

Thirdly, this study reveals the paths of how employee mental health affects job performance, and find that employees' work engagement and innovative behavior play a positive mediating role in the relationship between employee mental health and job performance. Existing studies have ignored the impact mechanism of employee mental health on job performance. What remains unknown is how employee mental health influences individual performance. Based on the framework of individual characteristics–behaviors–outcome, we view employees' work engagement and innovative behavior as two salient types of behavior that are affected by mental health. This study examines and finds that employees' work engagement and innovative behavior mediate the mental health–job performance relationship. These findings further extend the relationship between employee mental health and job performance.
