Service Employee Creativity: The Role of Job Relational Characteristics
(A2019-8918)

AUTHORS

Luis Miguel Machado, Universidade de Coimbra - Faculdade de Economia da Universidade de Coimbra ; Filipe Coelho, University of Coimbra, CeBER, Faculty of Economics; Miguel Cunha, Nova School of Business & Economics

KEYWORDS

creativity; motivation; employees

ABSTRACT

Creative frontline employees play a key role in delivering customer satisfaction, developing valuable customer relationships, and organizational performance. In this context, the current study examines the relationship between job relational characteristics and the creativity of frontline employees in a retail context. Moreover, we investigate the extent to which intrinsic motivation is a transmission mechanism for the relationship between job relational characteristics and creativity. To test the research hypotheses, we collected data from service employees and their supervisors. The results revealed that job relational characteristics are important drivers of creativity at work and that intrinsic motivation has a mediational role in the relationship between job relational characteristics and creativity. This research offers new insights for research on creativity and for retail managers.