with Creativity in the Workplace?
Creativity is a highly valued behavior in the workplace. Developing original solutions to problems may greatly help organizations. Moreover, creativity may make a job more meaningful for employees. How can creativity be increased in the workplace? One possibility is that a more challenging job may increase creativity in the workplace. Carmeli, Cohen-Meitar, and Elizur (2007) hypothesized that job challenge would be positively related to the creative behavior of an employee at work.
Carmeli, Cohen-Meitar, and Elizur (2007) investigated relations between job challenge, organizational identification, and creative behavior in the workplace. A person who identifies with an organization may have a sense of oneness with the organization. A job may seem challenging because it takes great effort or involves thinking about things in a complex manner.
Carmeli et al. (2007) found that greater job challenge was associated with greater organizational identification and greater creative behavior among employees. Moreover, organizational identification was positively correlated with creative behavior among employees. The findings were consistent with their idea that the relation between job challenge and creative behavior is mediated by organizational identification.
Consistent with their model, one possible interpretation of the findings is that having a more challenging job fosters greater identification with the organization, and greater identification with the organization fosters greater creative behavior among employees. However, we cannot make causal conclusions from the correlational findings. There may be other possible explanations for the correlational findings.
Although these findings are correlational, it may be a good idea for managers to strive to create a challenging work environment for employees.
References
Carmeli, A., Cohen-Meitar, A., & Elizur, D. (2007). The role of job challenge and
organizational identification in enhancing creative behavior among employees in the
workplace. Journal of Creative Behavior, 41, 75-90.