The Relationship between Role Ambiguity and Workers’ Creativity during the COVID-19 Pandemic in China

Jing Zhang, Yidan Hong and Andrew P. Smith ()
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Jing Zhang: School of Humanity and Law, Social Governance Innovation Research Center, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Yidan Hong: Mental Health Center, Hainan College of Foreign Studies, Wenchang 571321, China
Andrew P. Smith: Centre for Occupational and Health Psychology, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AS, UK

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 23, 1-12

Abstract: Job role ambiguity is becoming more and more common due to the increase in telecommuting caused by the COVID-19 epidemic. In order to understand the internal mechanism of the association between role ambiguity and creativity, this study examined it in the context of the Demands–Resources–Individual Effects (DRIVE) model. Participants were employees from all walks of life in mainland China, with a total of 437 valid data. The results showed that role ambiguity had no significant direct effect on creativity but exerted a negative effect on creativity through the chain mediating effect of affective rumination and perceived stress. A good relationship with a supervisor helped employees reduce their affective rumination when faced with the pressure of role ambiguity. The results show that how employees perceive role ambiguity plays an essential role in determining the potency of the after-effect of role ambiguity. Resources from supervisors can help reduce the negative perception of ambiguous roles.

Keywords: role ambiguity; work-related rumination; creativity; Demands–Resources–Individual Effects (DRIVE) model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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