Why and when innovation performance is available: the role of fell responsibility for constructive change and creative self-efficacy

Combining Gen Z and millennial employee groups, the current study aims to explore the mechanism of felt responsibility for constructive change, taking charge and innovation performance based on the theory of planned behavior and proactive motivation model, and analyzes the moderating effect of creative self-efficacy in it. The results reveal a positive association between felt responsibility for constructive change and taking charge, as well as between taking charge and innovation performance, with taking charge acting as a complete mediator. Moreover, the level of creative self-efficacy influences the relationship between felt responsibility for constructive change, taking charge, and innovation performance. Specifically, employees with high levels of creative self-efficacy demonstrate an accelerated transition from felt responsibility for constructive change to taking charge, thus enhancing innovation performance. Conversely, employees with low levels of creative self-efficacy experience a hindered transformation process from felt responsibility for constructive change to taking charge. These findings contribute to our understanding of the role of responsibility awareness in fostering innovation performance, and provide theoretical and practical enlightenment for managers to effectively cultivate employees’ consciousness of responsibility for constructive change, promote active engagement in taking charge and improve innovation performance.