Reflected self-efficacy and creativity: The power of being recognized by others toward individual creative performance

Reflected self-efficacy, defined as one’s perception of how others assess one’s ability to perform a task, may be a meaningful predictor of creative performance over and above self-assessed self-efficacy. We examined if reflected self-efficacy, compared to self-assessed self-efficacy, is a more meaningful predictor of creative performance. A sample of 141 Master of Business Administration students completed measures of self-efficacy, reflected self-efficacy, proactive social management, team trust, and creative performance. Results showed that reflected self-efficacy had superior incremental validity compared to self-assessed self-efficacy, and that reflected self-efficacy affected individual creativity via the mediator of proactive social engagement. This relationship was more pronounced when a focal team member’s trust toward the team was low (vs. high). Our findings support the importance of the functions of social aspects of self-efficacy in enhancing individual creativity.