Innovative cognitive style, proactive personality and employee creativity: The moderating effects of work discretion and time pressure

Yu Yu Chang, Ming Huei Chen

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper aims to examine the influence of innovative cognitive style, proactive personality and working conditions on employee creativity by taking an interactional perspective. Innovative cognitive style refers to individual's idiosyncrasy of thinking about and dealing with original idea, while proactive personality conceptualizes individual's strategic opportunity-seeking behaviors toward exploring novelty. Work discretion and time pressure, two critical contextual factors suggested to impact employee creativity in organizational literature, may also influence how individuals convert their innovative cognitive style and proactive personality into creativity. In an attempt to extend current understanding of creativity in organizations, this study examines the relationship between individual characteristics (innovativeness and proactiveness) and employee creativity, and how the relationship is moderated by work discretion and time pressure. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine the proposed hypotheses for a sample of 344 middle-level managers in Taiwanese manufacturing companies, including R&D managers and marketing managers. Results reveal that innovative cognitive style and proactive personality are positively related to employee creativity. Work discretion was found to enhance employee creativity while time pressure was found to constrain creativity. Our findings support the hypothesized moderating effects, indicating that employees will exhibit the highest level of creativity when they possess innovative cognitive style and proactive personality as well as performing tasks with high work discretion and less time pressure.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2013 Proceedings of PICMET 2013
Subtitle of host publicationTechnology Management in the IT-Driven Services
Pages1521-1534
Number of pages14
Publication statusPublished - 2013 Dec 26
Event2013 Portland International Conference on Management of Engineering and Technology, PICMET 2013 - San Jose, CA, United States
Duration: 2013 Jul 282013 Aug 1

Publication series

Name2013 Proceedings of PICMET 2013: Technology Management in the IT-Driven Services

Other

Other2013 Portland International Conference on Management of Engineering and Technology, PICMET 2013
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Jose, CA
Period13-07-2813-08-01

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Computer Networks and Communications

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