"Do High-Commitment Work Systems Affect Creativity? A Three-Level, Two-Wave Investigation"

Abstract

This study uses three-level, two-wave time-lagged data from a sample of 55 high-technology firms, 238 teams, and 1,059 individuals in China to investigate the impact of high- commitment work systems on individual employees’ creativity, with team cohesion and team task complexity as contingency variables for the relationship. Consistent with prior research, we hypothesize that high-commitment work systems are conducive to individual creativity. We further hypothesize that this positive main impact depends on team cohesion and task complexity, such that the positive impact of high-commitment work systems on individual creativity is stronger when team cohesion is high and when the task is more complex. The findings from random coefficient modeling analyses support our hypotheses. The results provide novel insights into the relationship between high-commitment work systems and creativity from both the best-practice and the contingency perspectives. Keywords: high-commitment work systems, team cohesion, team task complexity, creativity, cross-level models