How and When Does Performance-Prove Goal Orientation Promote Creativity

Abstract

Research has suggested that performance-prove goal orientation inhibits creativity because it incurs individuals to engage in dysfunctional interpersonal regulation towards coworkers and supervisors. Taking a different perspective, we propose that performance-prove goal orientation may promote creativity through facilitating a serially functional self-regulatory process of motivation and cognition. Drawing on achievement goal theory and the motivated information processing perspective, we propose that performance-prove goal orientation drives a particular approach motivational state—motivation to win—which enhances cognitive flexibility and further benefits creativity. We expect this serial self-regulatory process to be stronger among employees with high time management skill. Our Study 1, a field survey study with a four-wave and multi-source design, not only provided empirical evidence for the serial mediating effect of motivation to win and cognitive flexibility between performance-prove goal orientation and creativity, but also demonstrated that time management skill strengthened the positive relationship between performance-prove goal orientation and motivation to win. Our Study 2, a scenario-based experiment, constructively replicated the positive effect of performance-prove goal orientation on motivation to win as well as the moderating effect of time management skill. Overall, our research reveals how and when performance-prove goal orientation is likely to boost creativity. Theoretical and practical contributions are discussed.