Leaders can facilitate creativity: the moderating roles of leader dialectical thinking and LMX on employee creative self-efficacy and creativity

PurposeResearch has shown that creative self-efficacy is an important antecedent of workplace creativity, but recent research indicates that this relationship may be moderated by contextual factors. The current study investigates whether leader dialectical thinking and leader member exchange moderate the relationship between employee creative self-efficacy and employee creativity.Design/methodology/approachA survey sample of 222 employees in 43 teams from Chinese high-tech companies was collected and HLM was used to test our research model.FindingsThe positive association between employee creative self-efficacy and employee creativity was strengthened when a leader displayed a dialectical thinking style. Additional analyses failed to find support for the moderating role of leader-member exchange (LMX).Research limitations/implicationsThese findings establish leadership cognitive style as a potential boundary condition of the relationship between creative self-efficacy and employee creativity.Practical implicationsCompanies can make an active effort in recruiting and training leaders who have a dialectical mindset as they can play significant roles in facilitating employee creativity.Social implicationsTechnological advancement and innovation is important for social welfare. This paper helps to improve the efficiency of creativity processes and finally benefits the whole society.Originality/valueThis is the first introduction of the leader's dialectical thinking as a moderator of the relationship between creative self-efficacy and creativity.