Article Gold Open Access 2025

Exploring the combination of individual and organizational–environmental factors in the expression of radical and incremental creativity

Human Resource Development Quarterly
Journal · Vol. 36 · Issue 4 · pp. 409-433
Abstract

Innovative products and services are key factors in corporate competitiveness, and the expression “employee creativity” is the top priority factor in leading corporate innovation. This study aims to investigate the differences between the predictive variables for the expression of radical and incremental creativity and the combinations of the predictive variables, which aid in the expression of two types of creativity. A research survey was conducted with 600 employees working in newspaper, broadcasting, and film businesses. The results were derived by conducting a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fs/QCA) on 513 useful samples. Using necessity and sufficiency analysis of a fs/QCA, the results indicate that the three personal factors—job expertise, creative process engagement, and work engagement—are commonly required for two types of creativity. Conversely, organizational–environmental factors, a risk-taking climate, and external networking behavior are only predictive variables of radical creativity. This study's results provide insights regarding the personal and environmental resources that employees must secure to express radical and incremental creativity. Because a clear difference was found in the factors required for the expression of the two types of creativity, based on the results of this study, Human Resource Development(HRD) can devise an effective method to support the expression of the two types of differential creativity. © 2024 The Authors. Human Resource Development Quarterly published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Keywords

Author Keywords

fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fs/QCA) incremental creativity interaction of personal/environmental factors radical creativity

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
Department of Human Resource Development, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea
Department of Education, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea
Funding & Acknowledgements
No funding information
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