Effects of Positive Mood and Job Complexity on Employee Creativity and Performance

I proposed and tested a moderated mediation model in which job characteristics moderate the effect of mood states on creativity, which, in turn, facilitates performance of employees. Participants in the study were 220 employees of manufacturing companies in China. The results indicated that positive mood and job complexity were interactively associated with better employee performance through the mediation mechanism of creativity. In other words, employees who perceive greater job complexity are more likely to be motivated by positive mood to work in a novel and practical way, and will then strive for better performance. Theoretical and practical implications for manufacturing companies are discussed.