<p>Exploring Role of Personal Sense of Power in Facilitation of Employee Creativity: A Dual Mediation Model Based on the Derivative View of Self-Determination Theory</p>

Abstract

Purpose: Employee creativity is a key factor that helps organizations to gain competitive advantages. The aim of this study is to add to the knowledge of the antecedents of employee creativity. Based on the derivative view of self-determination theory, we analyzed how personal sense of power affects employee creativity, and the mediating role of affective commitment and creative self-efficacy. Participants and Methods: The participants in this study were 227 on-the-job MBA students (120 males and 107 females, mean age was 32.256 years, age range was between 24 and 52 years) at a university in southwestern China. To collect data, a three-wave survey was conducted. Participants were asked to report: personal sense of power, demographic variables, and zhongyong at Time 1; affective commitment and creative self-efficacy at Time 2; creativity at Time 3. PROCESS was employed to test the hypotheses. Results: Personal sense of power has a significant and positive impact on creativity (b = 0.333, SE = 0.052, p < 0.01). Both affective commitment (b = 0.058, 95% CI [0.024, 0.107]) and creative self-efficacy (b = 0.139, 95% CI [0.078, 0.224]) mediate the relationship between personal sense of power and creativity. Conclusion: Personal sense of power was positively correlated with employee creativity while affective commitment and creative self-efficacy mediated their relationship.

How Does Individual-Level Envy Affect Team Creativity? Effects of Knowledge Seeking and Moral Reflection

“…Besides, the previous study has proved a connection between positive emotion and the flexibility of the flow of information, which increases the likelihood of idea generation (Rooij et al, 2015; Zhou & He, 2020). Therefore, positive cognition may empower and encourage benign envier, which benefits cognitive flexibility, set-breaking, and abstract thinking (Zhou & He, 2020), thus promotes idea generation.…”

“…Previous studies have also shown a connection between emotions like joy and increased investment and engagement (Zhou & He, 2020). Since benign envy motivates selfimprove behaviors, it may ensure sufficient cognitive and motivational resources to enable creative activity (Zhou & He, 2020). Therefore, the hypothesis is put forwarded as following:…”

“…Benign envy impacts individuals to consider the ability or achievement gap in a positive way (van de Ven et al, 2009. Individuals with benign envy believe in their ability to exceeding the envied (van de Ven et al, 2012). Besides, the previous study has proved a connection between positive emotion and the flexibility of the flow of information, which increases the likelihood of idea generation (Rooij et al, 2015;Zhou & He, 2020). Therefore, positive cognition may empower and encourage benign envier, which benefits cognitive flexibility, set-breaking, and abstract thinking (Zhou & He, 2020), thus promotes idea generation.…”

“…Since creativity is positively related to openness (Zhang et al, 2019), such a focus may be harmful to individual creativity. Sometimes, the sense of powerlessness is related to destroying desire (Zhou & He, 2020), leading to reduced trust and increased conflict among team members, which are proven to be negatively related to team creativity (Gervais et al, 2013). Thus, the hypothesis is put forwarded as follows:…”

“…Although with the eager to surpass the envied, individuals with malicious envy negatively predict the competition result (van de Ven et al, 2012). This cognition may cause a sense of powerlessness, focusing on potential losses, and sensitivity to defense (Zhou & He, 2020). Since creativity is positively related to openness (Zhang et al, 2019), such a focus may be harmful to individual creativity.…”