How supervisors' reminders relate to subordinates' absorption and creativity

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to examine supervisors' temporal reminders and subordinates' pacing style as they relate to employees' absorption in work tasks, and subsequently creativity. Design/methodology/approach The study involved a weekly diary study among 32 employees of an IT‐development department of a large multinational. An initial questionnaire measured employees' pacing style and their perceptions of supervisors' temporal reminders, after which participants completed a weekly survey for four consecutive weeks to report on their levels of task absorption and creativity. Findings Whereas supervisors' temporal reminders related positively with task absorption for individuals who scored high rather than low on the deadline action pacing style, they related negatively to task absorption for those high rather than low on the steady action and the U‐shaped action pacing styles. Moreover, task absorption fluctuated consistently with individual creativity. Research limitations/implications The way individuals allocate efforts over time is not only related to the resources they invest in activities but also to their creativity. Practical implications The findings suggest that creativity requires that employees find the time and space to fully immerse in their work. Supervisors can facilitate this process by customizing their leadership practices to individual differences in time use. Social implications In an increasingly time‐pressured corporate society, an effective management of temporal strategies is important to ensure sustained employee well‐being as well as the quality of products in terms of creative solutions. Originality/value This study is the first to show that supervisors' temporal reminders relate positively to task absorption, and subsequent creativity levels, but only for specific pacing styles.

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