Control HRM and employee creativity: a curvilinear moderated mediation model

Abstract

Drawing on social information processing theory (SIP) and activation theory, this study theorizes a curvilinear moderated mediation model that links employee-experienced control human resource management (control HRM) and employee creativity. Using multisource data from 814 employees and 157 supervisors, we find that employee-experienced control HRM has an inverted U-shaped relationship with employee work vigor and that work vigor is positively related to employee creativity. Employee-experienced commitment HRM moderates the direct effect of employee-experienced control HRM on work vigor and the indirect effect on employee creativity. When employee-experienced commitment HRM is high and employee-experienced control HRM is moderate, employees are more vigorous and in turn more creative. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.