The role of power motivation in creativity: A moderated mediation model

We hypothesized that power motivation would influence employees’ creative performance. Drawing on a relational perspective, we conceptualized a moderated mediation model in which power motivation enhanced individual creativity through improving the quality of leader–member exchange (LMX). We further hypothesized that supervisor support for creativity would moderate the indirect effect of power motivation on creativity through LMX. In a sample of 410 Chinese employees in 6 state-owned companies, we found that power motivation was positively related to creativity, and that this relationship was mediated by LMX. Moreover, the results suggested that the indirect relationship between power motivation and creativity via LMX was stronger when supervisor support for creativity was high than when it was low.