How and When Does Coworker Knowledge Sharing Influence Employee Creativity? A Moderated Mediation Model

Abstract

This study investigates the mechanisms and conditions through which coworker knowledge sharing influences employee creativity, grounded in the conservation of resources (COR) theory. Specifically, the study proposes that employee self-efficacy functions as a mediating mechanism in the relationship between coworker knowledge sharing and employee creativity, while job demands serve as a boundary condition for this indirect effect. To test these hypotheses, two studies were conducted in South Korea. Study 1 analyzed data from 198 supervisor–employee dyads within a state-owned enterprise, while Study 2 examined data from 241 dyads across six of the nation's largest private companies. Results indicate that coworker knowledge sharing significantly enhances employee creativity, with self-efficacy fully mediating this relationship. Furthermore, the findings reveal that job demands moderate both the effect of coworker knowledge sharing on employee self-efficacy and the indirect effect of coworker knowledge sharing on employee creativity via self-efficacy. The study discusses implications for both theory and practice.