Fostering employees’ creative adaptability in times of crisis

“Creative adaptability” is a new construct that is thought to be a personal protective shield to help followers respond creatively and adaptively to stressful times of crisis. The present study investigates the vital role of servant leadership in this new construct. Moreover, the mediating role of workplace spirituality in the relationship between servant leadership and employees’ creative adaptability is examined. A quantitative approach was adopted by collecting surveys from 218 aviation employees in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The study findings confirmed that workplace spirituality works as a full mediator for the association between servant leadership and employees’ creative adaptability. This research makes a significant contribution to the emerging strategies to help employees adapt effectively to unexpected situations. In addition, to the best of the researchers’ knowledge, the current study is considered one of the first to shed light on determinants of creative adaptability as well as the mechanism through which servant leadership has an influence on employees’ creative adaptability via the mediating role of workplace spirituality.