High-performance work systems and employees’ creativity in Vietnam: the role of employees’ creative self-efficacy and organizational contexts

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore the mechanisms through which high-performance work systems (HPWS) fosters creativity, focusing on employee creative self-efficacy and organizational contexts in Vietnamese state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from a sample of 392 employees working in Vietnamese SOEs. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the hypothesized relationships. Findings – The results indicate that HPWS significantly enhances employee creativity through the mediating role of creative self-efficacy. Furthermore, both creative climate and resources were found to strengthen the relationship between creative self-efficacy and employee creativity, whereas extrinsic rewards did not exhibit a significant moderating effect. Originality/value – This study advances understanding of employee creativity in Vietnamese SOEs by highlighting the joint influence of individual factors (creative self-efficacy) and organizational contexts (creative climate and resources). While creative climate and resources strengthened the effect of creative self-efficacy on creativity, extrinsic rewards did not demonstrate a significant moderating role. These insights contribute to identifying the key variables that foster creative performance in transitional economies.