Multiple team membership and creativity: ambidexterity knowledge search

Purpose Many organizations are adopting multiple team membership (MTM) as a job model to enhance competitiveness. However, numerous questions about MTM in management remain unresolved. In today’s increasingly dynamic and digitized organizational environment, there is a growing need for creativity. Despite this, few studies have explored the relationship between MTM and creativity. Therefore, understanding how and when MTM can foster creativity is crucial for organizations. Design/methodology/approach To capture a good understanding of the MTM effect, this study investigates the relationships among MTM, creativity, ambidexterity knowledge search and the need for cognition. The statistical software packages SPSS and AMOS 24.0 are employed to develop a mediated moderation model linking MTM to creativity. Findings The results of this empirical study provide valuable insights. Notably, our findings reveal no statistically significant direct relationship between MTM and creativity. However, the study supports a mediated moderation model, indicating that the need for cognition is a critical boundary condition for MTM in the Chinese organizational context. This finding confirms that the effectiveness of MTM depends on suitable individual characteristics. Additionally, ambidexterity knowledge search acts as the key mediator through which MTM enhances creativity. Originality/value The originality of this study is captured in focusing on the “ambidexterity” paths of how and when MTM effectively influences creativity through an empirical study, responding to scholars’ call for further exploration of the MTM’s effects. The result shows that the need for cognition and ambidexterity knowledge search is a critical moderator and mediator, respectively, in enhancing employee creativity within MTM. This research addresses scholars’ calls for a more in-depth exploration of knowledge search from an individual perspective and expands the understanding of the external effects of the need for cognition across various organizational contexts.