Determinants and effects of employee’s creative self-efficacy on innovative activities

Purpose – This paper aims to identify factors that could be related to creative self-efficacy. Specifically, this article examines three different levels of factors as determinants to creative self-efficacy: leader-related, self-related and job-related. After careful consideration, this study selected one determinant to represent each of the three factors. Transformational leadership represented the leader-related factors, learning orientation represented the self-related factors and autonomy represented the job-related factors of creative self-efficacy. This article also aims to examine the effect of creative self-efficacy on what is called innovative activities. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing from theory the study presents a conceptual model of the aforementioned relationships. The data collection is based on a survey with a sample of employees in hospitality organizations. Findings – The findings reveal that the job-related factors (autonomy) were the most influential determinants to creative self-efficacy, followed by the self-related factors (learning orientation) and finally leader-related factors (transformational leadership). Furthermore, creative self-efficacy has a positive effect on innovative activities. Creative self-efficacy was found to have a mediating role between the three determinant variables and the effect variable. Research limitations/implications – This study is limited to a selection of three different factors as determinants to creative self-efficacy and only one effect variable. Future research should focus on other variables that may be related to creative self-efficacy. This article suggests three main areas related to creative self-efficacy that future research should specifically focus on. Practical implications – This study stresses the importance for managers to understand that creative self-efficacy is an important motivational factor for behavioural outcomes such as innovative activities. Moreover, it stresses the need for managers to give employees the necessary freedom to act on the basis of self-determination in their job role. Simultaneously, it points to the importance of building a climate and culture that triggers an individual learning orientation, increasing the creative capital in hospitality organizations. In general, this study demonstrates that creative self-efficacy may be a key personal attribute in the workplace where innovation is essential and an important aspect of firm's competitive advantage. Originality/value – Creative self-efficacy is a relatively new concept. This study contributes to the understanding of this phenomenon.