An Examination of Individual Factors and Employees' Creativity: The Case of Spain

Abstract

The objective of this investigation was to identify and analyze the individual attributes responsible for creative performance among employees of a Spanish firm. Drawing from the existing literature on intrinsic motivation, expertise, cognitive style, and individual creativity, research was conducted to test a creativity model of employee characteristics in Spain. Results confirmed that innovative style and intrinsic motivation were related to employee creativity, as measured by self-ratings. Moreover, results suggested that the accumulation of individual attributes that were hypothesized to have a positive relationship with creativity had a greater effect in creativity than when considering separately. A cluster analysis was carried out in order to procure a taxonomy of employees depending on their individual characteristics. Three groups were defined. Their behavior differed significantly in terms of their creativity performance. Recommendations for enhancing creativity in work settings are proposed.