Creativity in the hospitality and tourism industry: a meta-analysis

Purpose Underpinned by the ability–motivation–opportunity framework, this paper aims to establish a framework of employee creativity antecedents in the hospitality and tourism industries and meta-analytically examine the magnitude of effect sizes as well as the moderating effects of cultural factors. Design/methodology/approach A meta-analysis using data from 82 independent studies was conducted to explore the hypothesized relationships and verify how they were contingent on uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation. Findings The results supported the majority of hypotheses about the relationships between antecedents and creativity. Furthermore, they showed that the effects of intrinsic motivation, positive affect and climate for innovation on creativity in the hospitality and tourism industries were significantly larger than those reported in previous meta-analyses. It also showed that uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation could buffer or strengthen some associations. Practical implications This study generates some essential managerial suggestions for organizations in need of innovation. Managers can learn from the results so as to effectively promote the ability, motivation and opportunity for creativity and merge cultural elements with innovation strategy when they operate globally. Originality/value This study provides a theory-based explanation for how employee creativity can be activated. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is a first attempt to meta-analytically test the underlying determinants of employee creativity in the hospitality and tourism industries. Additionally, the search for boundary conditions of the proposed relationships is likely to reconcile existing conflicts and inspire future studies.