A process model linking family‐supportive supervision to employee creativity

Abstract

In the current study, we strategically link the work–family literature to employee creativity, a construct seen as a linchpin for organizational success, through family‐supportive supervision based on the concept of reciprocity of interdependent exchanges within social exchange theory. In Study 1 (N = 188), based on data with a one‐month lag between two assessments, we demonstrate that family‐supportive supervision is an explanatory leadership behaviour that connects broader leadership styles (i.e., leader–member exchange) to employee creativity. In Study 2, we further unpack the theoretical exchange processes at work to better address the leadership–creativity black box. With a sample of 251 participants, surveyed at two time points, we leverage a motivational process model and demonstrate that meaningfulness and intrinsic motivation mediate the relationship between family‐supportive supervision and creativity. These findings provide insight into the motivational mechanisms involved in the social exchange process and implications for inciting employee creativity through family‐supportive supervision.Practitioner points We demonstrate that family‐supportive supervision is an important driver of constructs of strategic importance (e.g., motivation, creativity) to many organizations. We provide practitioners with a focused opportunity for intervention to promote creativity given that leaders can be trained to engage in family‐supportive behaviours. We provide evidence that should encourage practitioners to start thinking about processes related to sustaining creativity.