The relationship between mindfulness and creativity in the workplace: Exploring the roles of intrinsic motivation, cognitive flexibility and supervisor support

In today's competitive creative industries environment, fostering employee creativity plays a critical role in driving organizational innovation and growth. As companies gain a deeper understanding of the individual antecedents of creativity, they can plan more effectively to enhance employee creativity. In this context, mindfulness emerges as an important factor in the development of creativity. However, the specific effects of mindfulness in creative industries and the mechanisms between these effects have not been sufficiently investigated. To address these gaps in the literature, this study examines the relationship between mindfulness and employee creativity through the lens of the Componential Theory of Creativity. The study examined the relationship between mindfulness and creativity, focusing on the mediating roles of intrinsic motivation and cognitive flexibility. It also tested the moderating role of perceived supervisor support on this relationship. The research hypotheses were tested by applying structural equation modelling and moderator analysis with data collected from 561 individuals working in media and advertising companies. The findings showed that mindfulness enhanced creativity through the mediation of intrinsic motivation and cognitive flexibility, separately and sequentially. Moreover, the moderated mediation effect of perceived supervisor support on the mindfulness-creativity link was identified. This research underscores the importance of mindfulness and supervisor support in fostering employee creativity, providing valuable insights for designing effective training programs to enhance workplace innovation. By deepening the understanding of the interplay between mindfulness, creativity, and managerial support, this study contributes to the literature and offers practical recommendations for companies operating in the creative industries.