Work

When Intrinsic Rewards Foster Creativity: The Roles of Job Satisfaction, Creative Self-Efficacy, and Affective Commitment

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Despite limited research on how intrinsic rewards for creativity translate into creative outcomes in developingcountry contexts, this study presents a moderated mediation model to examine their effects on academic staff creativity. Using matched data from 400 faculties and their direct supervisors across four public universities in Kabul, Afghanistan, and employing Amos 28 for analysis, we found that job satisfaction mediated the positive relationship between intrinsic rewards for creativity and faculty creativity. Drawing on social cognitive theory and the interactionist perspective, creative self-efficacy served as a boundary condition, strengthening the relationship between intrinsic rewards for creativity and job satisfaction at higher levels. Integrating social exchange theory and the interactionist perspective, affective commitment similarly moderated the link between job satisfaction and faculty creativity, with higher levels amplifying this relationship. These findings contribute to creativity literature by revealing conditional mechanisms through which intrinsic rewards foster faculty creativity. Practical implications for human resource management, limitations, and future research directions are discussed.

Source: International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT)

DOI: 10.38124/ijisrt/26mar1048

Authors: Mohammad Naim Wahdat, Shuguang Wei, Maryam Sediqi, Sayed Sami Muzafary, Zahoor Hasson

Institutions: Kabul University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Language: English

Topic: Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior

Subfield: Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: diamond

OpenAlex ID: W7149489136