Purpose: This study aims to investigate the relationships between affective commitment (AC), innovative work behavior (IWB) and organizational socialization strategies (training, coworker support, understanding and future prospects) to ensure the viability and prosperity of businesses in Iraq. Design/methodology/approach: The methodology includes demographic analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Findings: An analysis of survey data based on a random sample of participating employees shows that training, understanding and future prospects all significantly and positively affect employee AC. Coworker support does not significantly affect AC. Employees' AC to their companies significantly positively affects their IWB. Employees' AC to their companies significantly mediates the relationships between training, understanding, future prospects and IWB. Company practices regarding training, understanding, coworker support and future prospects do not affect employees' IWB. Research limitations/implications: The authors conducted the study in Sulaymaniyah. The results may not apply to Iraq and other nations. Researchers from various industries and countries can evaluate the model. The research ignores company age, size and fit between individuals and organizations. Originality/value: The study closes a research gap in organizational behavior by exploring the association between managerial socialization strategies, AC and creative work behavior in Iraq.