Title
How does a reward for creativity program benefit or frustrate employee creative performance? The perspective of transactional model of stress and coping
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
Group & Organization Management
Publication Date
2-1-2018
Volume
43
Issue
1
First Page
138
Last Page
175
Publisher
Sage Publications, Inc.
Keywords
reward for creativity program, challenge appraisal, threat appraisal, coping strategies, creativity
Abstract
We explore the effect of a reward for creativity program on employee creativity in organizations by investigating the underlying mechanisms based on the transactional model of stress and coping—a novel theoretical perspective for this research area. We theorize and find in two field studies that challenge appraisal of a reward for creativity program (perceived potential for gain, growth, or mastery) is positively related to problem-focused coping, which in turn predicts high creative performance. By contrast, threat appraisal of a reward for creativity program (perceived potential for harms or losses) is positively related to emotion-focused coping in the form of blaming, which in turn predicts low creative performance. Our findings also support the different indirect effects of the two appraisals of a reward for creativity program on creative performance through coping strategies. In addition, we find self-efficacy that is an antecedent of individual appraisals. We discuss the implications of the findings for theory development and managerial practice and suggest some important avenues for future research.
DOI
10.1177/1059601116688612
Print ISSN
10596011
E-ISSN
15523993
Funding Information
This research is partly supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China Grant (71302145) and Youth Foundation Project of Humanities and Social Sciences of Ministry of Education in China (12YJC630087) awarded to Fuli Li. {71302145, 12YJC630087}
Publisher Statement
Copyright © The Author(s) 2017. Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Additional Information
This article is based on the first author’s dissertation for a PhD degree under the super- vision of Professor Kwok Leung at City University of Hong Kong.
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Li, F., Chen, T. & Lai, X. (2017). How does a reward for creativity program benefit or frustrate employee creative performance? The perspective of transactional model of stress and coping. Group & Organization Management, 43(1), 138-175. doi: 10.1177/1059601116688612
