How psychological safety improves employee creativity: sequential mediating roles of organizational identification and employee voice behavior

Purpose Drawing upon social identity theory and social exchange theory, this study aims to examine the underlying mechanism through which psychological safety (PS) enhances employee creativity, focusing on the serial mediating effects of organizational identification and employee voice behavior. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative method was used to test the serial mediation model, utilizing partial least squares structural equation modeling and bootstrapping estimation. Data was collected from 325 employees working in Vietnamese information and communication technology enterprises through an administrative survey using a purposive sampling technique. Findings The results reveal a positive relationship between PS and employee creativity. Furthermore, the findings confirm that PS influences employee creativity through the individual mediating effects of organizational identification and employee voice behavior. Notably, organizational identification and employee voice behavior jointly and sequentially mediate the relationship between PS and employee creativity. Research limitations/implications This study has several limitations related to sample sizes, research design, and the omission of contextual and boundary conditions, which offer valuable avenues for future research. Originality/value This study is among the few to provide empirical evidence on how PS positively impacts employee creativity in a collectivistic, Confucian Asian cultural context. It highlights how PS fosters employee creativity through the serial mediating roles of organizational identification and employee voice behavior.