High Performance Work Systems and Employee Creativity： The Mediating Effect of Knowledge Sharing

Employee creativity is both the core element of a firm＇s innovation capabilities and the sources for its growth. To improve an organization＇s ability to innovate, it is necessary to improve the creativity of its employees. Based on theories from strategic human resource management, creativity and organizational learning, this paper investigates the relationship between high performance work systems and employee creativity and explores the role knowledge sharing plays in their relationship. A questionnaire is designed and administered to a group of part-time executive students in the winter of 2012. Two hundred students are invited to answer the survey questions with 117 valid responses. Data are collected and processed by using statistical regressions. The empirical findings reveal that high performance work systems positively affect knowledge sharing and employee creativity. Knowledge sharing plays a mediating role in the relationship between high performance work systems and employee creativity. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

The Effect of Normative Expectations on Employees＇ Intrinsic Interest in Creativity： Is There also a Mediating Mechanism？

As the core element of a firm＇s innovation capabilities and the source of firm growth, increasing employee creativity is a primary goal of organizations. Based on social cognitive theory, role theory, and creativity theory, this paper investigates the relationship between perception of normative expectations and employees＇ intrinsic interest in creativity, as well as explores the role of self-efficacy in this relationship. We use data from a survey questionnaire of 2,035 employees from 185 firms in different geographic locations across China. Our empirical findings reveal that when employees perceive a normative expectation coming from leaders, family or customers, coupled with the fear of failing to satisfy the expectations of those referent groups, it positively and significantly affects their intrinsic interest in creativity. In addition, self-efficacy not only positively and significantly affects employees＇ intrinsic interest in creativity, but also plays a partially mediating role in the relationship between the perception of expectation and employees＇ intrinsic interest in creativity.

Role of authentic leadership and personal mastery in predicting employee creative behavior:a self-determination perspective

Personality dispositions and their role in inducing employee creative behavior are well documented in the literature.However,much is unexplored about the collective and relative contribution of personality orientations and environmental factors in explaining creative behavior.This study used a framework based on selfdetermination theory(SDT)to measure the combined and relative contribution of personal mastery orientation and authentic leadership in predicting employee creative behavior as mediated by autonomous motivation.A self-reported survey was conducted among software developers working in software houses.The results of the study show that both personal mastery and authentic leadership are significant predictors of employee creative behavior.In addition,autonomous motivation significantly mediates the relationship between personal mastery,authentic leadership,and creative behavior.The findings of the study lend support to the combined effect of personality orientation and environmental factors in predicting employee creative behavior and test the SDT framework’s efficacy in predicting creative behavior.