Grounding on self-determination theory, this study proposes that job characteristics (task variety and skill variety) enhance employees' creativity through thriving at work. It also examines the boundary condition of managerial coaching on the job characteristics-thriving link. Analysis of time-lagged dyadic data from 313 frontline hospitality employees shows that job characteristics promote thriving, which positively affects creativity. Skill variety impacts thriving more strongly than task variety. Thriving mediates the job characteristics-creativity relationship, and managerial coaching moderates the job characteristics-thriving link. The study supports a self-determination perspective on job characteristics, thriving, creativity, and managerial coaching within the Chinese hospitality sector.

Hasan Farid, Yang Zhang, Ming Tian, Jamshed Raza, Shiyao Lu