A cross‐level analysis of organizational creativity climate and perceived innovation

Abstract

PurposeThe concept that creativity climate facilitates innovation outcome is well‐received, yet it has not been widely tested in non‐Western countries. To fill the gap between concept and practical value, this study adopted the eight‐dimensional model of organizational creativity climate proposed by Amabile and associates with the aim of investigating the cross‐level relationship between creativity climate and employee‐perceived innovation in an Asian work place, i.e. Taiwan.Design/methodology/approachUsing survey data of 398 employees from different companies of Taiwan, the effect of organizational creativity climate on innovation was explored. Furthermore, the mediating effect of employees' work motivation was also examined.FindingsBy employing hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), statistical analysis indicates that 27 percent variance of perceived innovation could potentially be explained by creativity climate. Five out of the eight dimensions, namely, organizational encouragement, supervisory encouragement, work group support, sufficient resource and challenging work, relate significantly to perceived innovation with the mediation of work motivation.Research limitations/implicationsAs most companies are reluctant to reveal their objective innovation data, the authors had to rely on self‐reported data that are inevitably subjective in nature. Moreover, the fact that only 13 organizations were sampled may weaken the generalizability of the findings to more diverse business contexts.Originality/valueThe findings of this study contribute to advancing organizational climate research and innovation management in a non‐Western country. In addition, by surveying this topic in an innovation‐active context, i.e. Taiwan, this study uncovers rich information on organizational creativity issues for interested parties and for future research.