The curvilinear effect of employee-experienced market-based HR systems on employee creativity in the Chinese context

Abstract

Drawing on the cognitive evaluation theory, we examine the mediated curvilinear relationship between employee-experienced market-based human resource (HR) systems and creativity. Having used a sample consisting of 356 supervisor–subordinate dyads from Chinese companies, our study found employee-experienced market-based HR systems to have an inverted U-shaped relationship with employee creativity. We also found market-based HR systems to indirectly influence employee creativity via psychological safety, with there being an inverted U-shaped path from the systems to psychological safety. This study broadens the knowledge about the effects of market-based HR systems as a type of strategic human resource management and provides insights on how market-based HR systems influence employee creativity in emerging economies, such as in the Chinese context.

Keywords:

• Market-based HR systems
• psychological safety
• employee creativity
• strategic HRM
• Chinese context

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

Data used for this study and paper can be made available upon request.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by National Social Science Fund of China, Grant/Award Number: 17ZDA057.

Notes on contributors

Qinxuan Gu

Qinxuan Gu (PhD, Shanghai Jiao Tong University) is a Professor in Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. Her research interests include creativity and innovation, leadership and strategic human resource management. Her publications have appeared in journals such as Human Resource Management, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Business and Psychology.

Meilin Liu

Meilin Liu is a PhD candidate in Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. Her research interests include creativity, strategic human resource management and leadership.