Creativity on the tarmac: unpacking employability beliefs and organizational support in China’s aviation sector

Purpose This study aims to explore the impact of internal and external employability perceptions on employee creativity, with a focus on the moderating role of perceived organizational support (POS). Specifically, it examines how different levels of employability influence creativity and how POS interacts with these perceptions to enhance or mitigate creative behavior. By investigating employees in ground handling roles at China’s civil aviation companies, the study offers insights into creativity in service-intensive environments. Design/methodology/approach A two-wave, two-source survey design was conducted with 788 employees reporting on employability perceptions and POS, and 127 supervisors rating employee creativity. Confirmatory factor analysis and hierarchical regression were used to test the hypothesized linear and nonlinear relationships. Findings Internal employability has a positive linear effect on employee creativity, while external employability exhibits a U-shaped relationship. POS moderates both patterns: it strengthens the positive effect of internal employability and amplifies the curvilinear effect of external employability. These results underscore the interplay between career confidence and organizational support in shaping creativity under high-pressure service conditions. Originality/value First, the study offers an integrated theoretical account of the differentiated effects of employability by identifying a positive linear relationship for internal employability and a U-shaped relationship for external employability, thereby moving beyond simplistic linear assumptions. Second, it extends POS theory by revealing how organizational support not only amplifies direct effects but also shapes the motivational transition underlying the U-shaped relationship. Third, it provides novel and contextualized insights into frontline creativity within the structured and high-stakes setting of aviation ground services.