Key predictors of individual creativity in a Middle Eastern culture: The case of service organizations

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically test a model in which antecedents of creativity are hypothesized to lead to enhance employee creativity and, subsequently, to increase innovative performance outcomes. Leader–member exchange (LMX) is posited as a moderator of the leader encouragement of creativity and employee creativity relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on a sample of 163 employees working in various service organizations in Kuwait and pursuing an MBA. Structural equation modeling techniques with AMOS software were used to assess the relationships between the different constructs.

Findings

The findings show that all creativity antecedents are positively and significantly related to individual creativity, except for leader encouragement of creativity and perceived organizational support. The results show also that LMX mediates the relationship between leader encouragement of creativity and individual creativity, and that intrinsic motivation moderates the relationship between perceived organizational support and individual creativity.

Research limitations/implications

This study has several limitations including a small sample size, cross-sectional design, same-source bias and one point in time data. Future studies could examine these findings in different settings, use longitudinal design and capture a full range of creativity antecedents,

Originality/value

This study is the first to theorize and identify antecedents that promote individual creativity in a collectivist context (i.e. Kuwait). Moreover, this study is unique in that we predict that employee creativity is a mediating mechanism that can explain the link between creativity antecedents and creativity outcomes.

Citation

Zaitouni, M. and Ouakouak, M.L. (2018), "Key predictors of individual creativity in a Middle Eastern culture: The case of service organizations", International Journal of Organizational Analysis, Vol. 26 No. 1, pp. 19-42. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-03-2017-1139