Psychological resilience is not only the positive state of mind for facing difficulties but also a critical adjustment power for recovering from adversity. The creativity of knowledge workers, which serves as the engine for organizational innovation and corporate wealth, is highly susceptible to their psychological states.
Objective
This study aims to investigate the mechanism linking psychological resilience to creativity among knowledge workers, specifically focusing on the mediating role of burnout and the moderating role of social support.
Methods
Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), Ego Depletion Theory (EDT), and Conservation of Resources Theory (COR), we analyzed data from 272 valid questionnaires collected from knowledge workers in Chinese enterprises. SPSS 24.0 and AMOS 28.0 were utilized to establish reliability and validity. Subsequently, hierarchical regression analysis and the PROCESS macro were employed to investigate the main effects, mediation, and moderation models.
Results
Results show that the psychological resilience significantly enhances creativity among knowledge workers (β = 0.652, p < 0.001). Burnout partially mediates this relationship (indirect effect = 0.4393, 95% CI [0.2476, 0.6560]). Social support positively moderates the adverse effects of burnout on creativity (β = −0.401, p < 0.05).
Conclusions
Psychological resilience acts as a critical anti-depletion resource to sustain creativity by mitigating burnout. However, social support may exacerbate the negative impact of burnout due to contextual factors such as resource mismatch. Therefore, organizations should prioritize resilience cultivation and implement demand-oriented support systems.
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