Xiaoqin Liu’s research while affiliated with Guangdong University of Foreign Studies and other places

Purpose The purpose of the study is to investigate the mechanisms through which green HRM practices foster green creativity among employees. Specifically, it tests a conceptual model linking green HRM practices to green creativity, with employee thriving at work as a mediator and creative leadership as a moderator strengthening the links. Design/methodology/approach The study collected survey data from 319 employees working in the financial, internet and IT sectors in the developed coastal regions of China. The conceptual model and hypotheses were tested using this sample focused on sustainability-oriented sectors based in regions with imperative ecological needs and priorities. Findings The findings indicate that thriving at work (characterized by vitality and learning) mediates between green HRM practices and green creativity. In addition, creative leadership was found to moderate the impact of green HRM on both thriving and green creativity, including the indirect effects through thriving. Originality/value The study breaks new ground by being the first to examine the mediation of thriving at work and the moderation of creative leadership in connecting green HRM to green creativity. It develops and tests an integrated theoretical framework that combines insights from self-determination theory and creative leadership theory, situates the research in the timely and relevant context of China’s developed coastal areas and key industries and offers new insights and practical implications for fostering green creativity and aligning organizational strategies with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Purpose This study aims to investigate how long commutes negatively affect employees’ creative deviance at work, exploring the mediating role that impaired work–life balance plays in linking commute to restricted creative deviance, as well as examining whether access to flexible work arrangements can alleviate commuting’s detrimental indirect effects. Design/methodology/approach This study employed a three-wave survey methodology conducted over monthly intervals with 246 participants in China’s Pearl River Delta region. Rigorous screening ensured a demographically diverse sample. Findings Commuting time negatively affects creative deviance, both directly and indirectly through work–life balance. Flexible work arrangements mitigate the adverse effects of long commutes on work–life balance, subsequently weakening the indirect effect of commuting time on creative deviance through work–life balance. Practical implications A holistic approach is suggested for organizations aiming to foster a supportive and ethical work environment, which involves a combination of organizational policies, leadership practices and individual actions to promote both creativity and employee welfare. Originality/value This research breaks new ground by identifying commuting time as a key factor influencing creative deviance in the workplace, mediated by work–life balance. It integrates transportation research with organizational behavior, applying an ethics of care perspective to challenge traditional paradigms. The study’s interdisciplinary approach, bridging multiple fields, provides a novel, holistic view of how non-work factors impact workplace innovation.

Purpose This study aims to explore the impact of ethical leadership on employee creative deviance, with job autonomy as a mediator and creative self-efficacy as a moderator between job autonomy and creative deviance. Design/methodology/approach A survey was developed based on construct measures from the literature. A total of 316 responses were received from employees of information and communication technology companies located in China's Pearl River Delta. Findings Both ethical leadership and job autonomy have a positive impact on employee creative deviance; job autonomy plays a mediating role between ethical leadership and creative deviance; creative self-efficacy does not have a significant moderating effect on the job autonomy-creative deviance relationship. Research limitations/implications Future studies could explore the potential moderating role of both job autonomy and creative-self efficacy in the link between ethical leadership and creative deviance. Practical implications This study recommends that organizations should adopt and promote an ethical leadership approach to manage creative deviance at work. Organizations could explore alternative methods of task completion to support the job autonomy for the employees to mitigate the dilemmas associated with creative deviance. Originality/value This is one of few studies that examine the impact of ethical leadership on employee's creative deviance, despite the fact that the influence of ethical leadership on the followers has been extensively examined.