Resources Matter: Combined Influence of Job Demands and Job Control on Creative Process Engagement

Abstract

Considerable research has been conducted on employee creativity, but it has generally focused on creative outcomes and rarely paid attention to employees’ engagement in creative processes, that is, creative process engagement. Further, job characteristics as antecedents are little understood. Drawing on the job demands-resources model and the conservation of resources theory, this study examines the relationship between challenge-hindrance demands and creative process engagement at different levels of job control. In total, 572 questionnaires from China were used to test our proposed model through hierarchical regression analysis. The results show that when job control is high, the effect of challenge demands on creative process engagement is U-shaped, while that of hindrance demands is negative. When job control is low, both challenge and hindrance demands are not related to creative process engagement.

Keywords:

• Challenge demands
• hindrance demands
• job control
• creative process engagement
• job demands-resources model

Additional information

Funding

The authors are grateful for the financial support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (71472054, 71772052).

Notes on contributors

Yana Du

Yana Du, PhD, is a lecturer in Business School of Zhengzhou University, China. Her recent research interests include work stress, work engagement, social support and creativity.

Li Zhang

Li Zhang, PhD, is a professor and an associate dean in School of Management at Harbin Institute of Technology of China. Her recent research interests include work-family conflict, leadership, work stress, creativity and prosocial behavior.

Zhenduo Zhang

Zhenduo Zhang is a PhD student in School of Management at Harbin Institute of Technology, China. His recent research interests include creativity, leadership, emotion and negotiation.