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Future Work Self and Employee Creativity: The Mediating Role of Informal Field-Based Learning for High Innovation Performance

Author

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  • Qichao Zhang

    (School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
    Odette School of Business, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada)

  • Zhenzhong Ma

    (Odette School of Business, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada
    School of Business, Nanjing Audit University, Nanjing 211815, China)

  • Long Ye

    (School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China)

  • Ming Guo

    (School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China)

  • Shuzhen Liu

    (School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
    Odette School of Business, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada)

Abstract

In today’s highly uncertain environment, the value of creativity and innovation are increasingly critical. How individuals could improve their creativity and innovation performance has become the focus of attention. Future work self as an intrinsic motivation factor plays an important role in creativity and innovation. Based on the self-consistency theory, this study integrated proactive personality and informal field-based learning (IFBL) to explore the relationship between future work self and employee creativity to increase innovation performance. It used data from 201 R&D department employees in China’s high-tech companies. The results show that future work self has a positive effect on employee creativity and that IFBL mediates the relationship between future work self and employee creativity. This process is then positively moderated by a proactive personality. This study’s results help clarify the formation mechanism of creativity from the perspective of intrinsic motivation and indicate that future work self can drive individuals’ creativity and innovation efforts, especially under the consistency of self-concept, motivation and personality. This research also emphasizes the importance of IFBL in improving individual creativity and further organizational innovation performance. Implications for theory and management to help improve creativity and innovation performance are then discussed in detail.

Suggested Citation

  • Qichao Zhang & Zhenzhong Ma & Long Ye & Ming Guo & Shuzhen Liu, 2021. "Future Work Self and Employee Creativity: The Mediating Role of Informal Field-Based Learning for High Innovation Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-17, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:3:p:1352-:d:488457
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    3. Sergi, Bruno S. & Ključnikov, Aleksandr & Popkova, Elena G. & Bogoviz, Aleksei V. & Lobova, Svetlana V., 2022. "Creative abilities and digital competencies to transitioning to Business 4.0," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 401-411.
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