Can transactive memory system improve top management team’s creativity? The moderating role of team identity

Abstract

Whether transactive memory system can improve top management team’s creativity is an important issue that remains to be solved. Based on the theory of information processing, social exchange, upper echelons and social identity, this study proposed a theoretical model to answer the question whether transactive memory system could improve top management team’s creativity, introduced team identity as a moderator simultaneously. Hierarchical regression analysis of data obtained from 527 executives in 46 top management teams revealed team expertise, team trust and team coordination separately had a significant positive impact on top management team’s creativity; Team identity partially moderated the relationship between transactive memory system and top management team’s creativity. According to these findings, transactive memory system could promote top management team’s creativity, and team identity enhanced the positive effects of team expertise and team coordination on top management team’s creativity. These made up for the lack of theoretical research on the relationships among transactive memory system, top management team’s creativity and team identity, could provide scientific guidance to conduct transactive memory system practice, improve top management team’s creativity.