Exploring the relationship between core self-evaluation and employee innovative behaviour: The role of emotional factors

This study sought to examine the roles of emotional factors of trait emotional intelligence and emotional exhaustion in the relationship between employee core self-evaluations and employee innovative behaviour. Data were from a sample of 299 employees of three manufacturing companies in China (female = 45.80%; mean age = 34.81 years, SD = 7.10). Bootstrapping analyses showed that employee core self-evaluations was positively associated with innovative behaviour. Employee trait emotional intelligence mediated the relationship between employee core self-evaluations and their innovative behaviour, boosting innovation behaviour scores. Emotional exhaustion lessened the direct relationship of trait emotional intelligence with innovative behaviour. In addition, emotional exhaustion indirectly reduced the relationship between employee core self-evaluations and innovative behaviour, through trait emotional intelligence. These findings imply a need for emotional exhaustion reduction interventions for employees to increase their work innovation potential across the trait emotional intelligence continuum.