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Does a creative identity encourage innovative behaviour? Evidence from knowledge-intensive IT service firms

Md. Aftab Uddin (Department of Human Resource Management, University of Chittagong, Chattogram, Bangladesh)
H.P. Rasika Priyankara (Department of Business Management, Faculty of Management Studies, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, Belihuloya, Sri Lanka)
Monowar Mahmood (KIMEP University, Almaty, Kazakhstan)

European Journal of Innovation Management

ISSN: 1460-1060

Article publication date: 12 November 2019

Issue publication date: 7 September 2020

729

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of an employee’s personal creative identity on their innovation behaviour in knowledge-intensive information technology (IT) service provider firms. It further investigates the mediating role of an employee’s creative process engagement (CPE) and the moderating effects of the organizational creative climate on creative identity-innovative behaviour (IB) relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

This study follows a quantitative method. Using a multi-item survey instrument, a total of 316 questionnaires were collected from the employees of IT service provider firms in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The collected data were analysed using structural equation modelling, factor analysis and path analysis to test the hypotheses and to assess the moderating and mediating effects of the variables.

Findings

The results revealed the significant influence of an employee’s creative personal identity (CPI) on their IB. The mediation analysis revealed that CPE mediates the association between a CPI and IB. The study also found a significant moderating effect of a creative organizational climate between a CPI and CPE.

Research limitations/implications

Based on the premise of the interactionist approach of creativity and role identity theory, this study contributes to the creativity and innovation literature by providing empirical support for the relationship between a personal creative identity, organizational creative culture, CPE and IB in IT service organizations.

Originality/value

This study adopts a distinct model comprising four different variables to investigate an employee’s IB from a multi-level perspective, i.e., a creative identity and CPE at the individual level and a creative climate and IB at the organizational level. This integrated model using predictors from multiple levels supports the theoretical assumption that IB results from the interaction of individual and organizational level factors.

Keywords

Citation

Uddin, M.A., Priyankara, H.P.R. and Mahmood, M. (2020), "Does a creative identity encourage innovative behaviour? Evidence from knowledge-intensive IT service firms", European Journal of Innovation Management, Vol. 23 No. 5, pp. 877-894. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-06-2019-0168

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited

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