Exploring the relationship between generative AI usage and employee creativity: a dual-pathway mediation model

Purpose This study aims to elucidate the relationship between generative artificial intelligence (Gen-AI) usage and employee creativity in workplace settings. It addresses a gap in the literature by exploring how Gen-AI influences individual creativity beyond its traditional applications in executive tasks. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in social cognitive theory, this study employs a field design to examine how text-based Gen-AI usage affects employee creativity. A dual-pathway mediation model is proposed, with creative self-efficacy and creative process engagement as mediators and task complexity as a moderator of both mediation paths. Findings The results reveal the following: (a) Gen-AI usage is positively associated with creative self-efficacy, creative process engagement, and employee creativity; (b) both creative self-efficacy and creative process engagement mediate the relationship between Gen-AI usage and creativity; and (c) task complexity moderates these mediating effects, with stronger indirect effects observed under high-complexity conditions. Research limitations/implications This study advances understanding of Gen-AI’s role in creative work environments and highlights the moderating importance of task complexity. As the research focuses solely on text-based Gen-AI, future studies should investigate other modalities and broader workplace applications. Practical implications The findings offer practical guidance for managers seeking to integrate Gen-AI tools into knowledge-intensive tasks. They underscore the value of fostering creative self-efficacy and process engagement, particularly in complex work settings, to maximise the creative potential of Gen-AI. Originality/value This study contributes novel insights by examining Gen-AI’s influence on employee creativity through psychological mechanisms, and by identifying task complexity as a key boundary condition.