Encouraging more creativity in organizations: the importance of employees’ intrinsic motivation and work engagement

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the contribution of perceived organizational support (POS), work engagement (WE) and intrinsic motivation (IM) on employee creativity (EC).Design/methodology/approachThis study conducted a questionnaire survey obtaining 370 respondents employed in the United Arab Emirates in 6 organizations operating in services industries. The authors test their hypothetical model based on regression analysis.FindingsThe main findings are that WE mediates the relationship between POS and EC. Further, the effect of POS on EC is moderated by IM. The results also indicated that the indirect effect of POS on EC through WE was moderated by IM. The path effect is stronger for employees with high IM.Originality/valueThis study sheds light on the effect of POS on EC through WE and IM in the workplace, making a significant contribution to the POS and EC literatures by offering insights on when and how IM and WE enhances EC.