Unleashing employee creativity: the role of knowledge-based HRM, thriving at work and leader’s effectiveness

Purpose The research aims to enhance the creativity of employees working in the Bangladesh telecom sector. Accordingly, this study proposed a unique model and attempted to investigate the interconnection between knowledge-based human resource management (HRM) and employee creativity as well as the mediating role of thriving at work and the moderating role of the leader’s effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach This study used a quantitative approach to achieve the research objectives. Hence, through questionnaire survey, employees’ responses were collected from the telecom sector of Bangladesh at two different time lags. This study processed a total of 504 useable responses through structural equation modeling to infer the results. Findings The results show a significant relationship between knowledge-based HRM and employee creativity. Also, thriving at work mediates in the above mentioned relationship. Additionally, a leader’s effectiveness moderates the relationship between knowledge-based HRM and thriving at work, as well as thriving at work and employee creativity. Practical implications Managers should emphasize the practice of the knowledge-based HRM approach as well as stress the antecedents of thriving at work and the leader’s effectiveness to foster employees' creativity. Originality/value The research contributes to the HRM literature by providing a plausible explanation of the role of knowledge-based HRM, the mediating role of thriving at work and the moderating role of a leader’s effectiveness to enhance employee creativity.