Better service through creative employees: developing a customized comprehensive model of employee creative behavior comparing the uae public and private sector

Abstract

Service levels between public organizations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) differ and fluctuate. Research shows that service levels generally increase with the level of Employee Creative Behavior (ECB), which is currently a focal point of organizational policies by the federal UAE government. While the literature presents an ample array of determinants of ECB some provide more leverage than others based on the local context. Therefore, this research presents a customized ranking of determinants, which enables managers in the UAE public sector to successfully stimulate ECB. Additionally, the public sector is compared to the private sector to determine whether the ranking is different. Through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR), this research identified 21 determinants at four distinct levels of an organization and subsequently utilized the Analytic Hierarchical Process (AHP) to map their relative importance. For the analysis of the public sector, data were obtained from 33 experts, i.e., managers and senior employees from 33 organizations in three emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah). For the private sector analysis, data were obtained from 15 experts, i.e., managers and senior employees from 15 organizations in the same three emirates. After assessing outcomes (the highest and lowest ranking determinants for each sector), a comparison was conducted to display and explain potential similarities and differences. Overall, findings indicate that the individual level is the most important leverage point to stimulate ECB in both sectors, which is followed by the team level. ECB is the result of group characteristics, team activities, and the v communication of team members. Employees must also understand what their expectations are and what society expects to have a clear perspective of the future. Most determinants of this level should be available in all organizations, which make it a leading level with an impact on ECB. By comparing determinants at each level, management support (organizational level) is perceived as having the most impact followed by coworker support (team level). As the head of the pyramid, it is critical to have complete support from managers, and the rest of the determinants help solidify the ECB process in the firm. A favorable or negative relationship between the employee and the employer impacts how the two operate. Additionally, it has a direct impact on outcomes that result from services or products that enterprises deliver to their consumers. Again, this result applies to both sectors. Data demonstrates only slight variances in the impact on ECB in each UAE industry. As a result, this type of model can be applied to all industries in the UAE. Furthermore, data demonstrates that the working environment is consistent across industries. Both public and private sectors have the necessary resources for ECB but there is a difference in how they are used. This study began with an SLR, which revealed 21 ECB determinants that were divided into four categories: individual, team, job, and organization. The attention was then shifted to the UAE's public sector to better understand where ECB is now and how these determinants will influence the future of ECB in the UAE. The outcomes of the study were then contrasted between public and vi private sectors. This study created a contextualized model to help decision makers in both industries determine what initiatives will be most effective in boosting ECB among workers. The outcomes of this study add value to ECB studies and ways in which enterprises will profit from them. It also contradicts SLR findings, which revealed that the employee involvement factor had the greatest impact on ECB. Although the study was conducted using particular keywords, there is a risk that some important but unrelated terms were utilized, which results in significant and disparate publications and findings (which is a phenomenon known as publication bias). Because all specialists came from this background, conclusions cannot be applied outside the UAE's governmental and private sector. However, future research can use this strategy to develop tailored causal models for various industries and regions and also build an additional framework by examining the impact of coworker and manager support on ECB. As mediators and/or moderators, the determinants of creative self-efficacy and autonomy were added. This research provides multiple contributions that will facilitate future studies and management practices. First, while comprised of levels derived from other studies, it also builds a more comprehensive AHP model with a level that was implicit before and that can be used in further analyses. Second, insights generated by this research provide guidance to managers who want to enhance ECB in UAE public and private sectors, which will contribute to increased service quality. During their efforts, managers should invest in all possible ECB determinants, and they could combine some or all of the top five determinants (i.e., management support, coworker support, creative self-efficacy, autonomy, vii and knowledge sharing). Employees who are pleased at work are more likely to innovate, care for one another, and collaborate. As a result, firms who successfully implement ECB at work achieve positive results. Understanding ECB will assist organizations in making the best decisions regarding hiring individuals and strategizing the allocation of resources. Decision-makers and leaders in public and private sectors in the UAE must consider management support and coworker support as the main determinants that impact the empowerment of ECB. When it comes to ECB, various social, religious, and cultural elements are heavily weighed. In underperforming businesses, utilizing and comprehending ECB is critical because it ensures high-quality service levels across all sectors