AbstractResearch has examined creative self‐efficacy and intrinsic motivation for creativity as important antecedents to employee creativity, but little is known about how the two antecedents influence each other to foster employee creativity. This study proposes two theoretical possibilities. First, by enhancing resilience, creative self‐efficacy can promote intrinsic motivation for creativity, which in turn boosts employee creativity. Task difficulty further strengthens creative self‐efficacy's effect on intrinsic motivation for creativity and employee creativity (via resilience). Second, by fostering creative process engagement, intrinsic motivation for creativity can promote creative self‐efficacy, which in turn boosts employee creativity. Task variability further amplifies the effect of intrinsic motivation for creativity on creative self‐efficacy and employee creativity (via creative process engagement). Results from two experiments and two field studies largely supported the hypothesized relationships. We extend the creativity literature by untangling the interrelationships between creative self‐efficacy and intrinsic motivation for creativity in shaping employee creativity.

We theorized and tested an integrated model that examines the simultaneous effects of authentic self-expression and self-enhancement (including authentic and exaggerated self enhancement) on employee outcomes. Using a multisource, two-wave survey design and a sample of 143 working groups from 566 employees, we tested the indirect effects of self-presentation on job performance through (a) trust from coworkers and (b) felt trust from coworkers. We found that through trust from coworkers, authentic self-expression had a positive indirect effect on job performance, whereas authentic and exaggerated self-enhancement had negative indirect effects. Via felt trust from coworkers, authentic self-enhancement had a positive indirect effect on job performance, whereas exaggerated self-enhancement had a negative indirect effect. In addition, we identified a boundary condition of these relationships. The positive relationship between authentic self-expression and trust from coworkers and the negative relationship between exaggerated self-enhancement and trust from coworkers were stronger when working for highly authentic leaders. Contrary to expectations, the relationship between authentic self-enhancement and trust from coworkers was negative and significant when working for less authentic leaders.