Accessed external knowledge, centrality of intra-team knowledge networks, and R&D employee creativity

Accessing knowledge is an important component of managing research and development (R&D) employee creativity. Although previous literature on creativity highlights the value of external diversified knowledge and the centrality of intra-team knowledge network to creativity, the effects of accessed external knowledge characteristics on the network position of intra-team knowledge and creativity, as well as the moderating role of accessed knowledge content reliability, have hardly been considered. This empirical study helps shed some light on this issue in the context of R&D. In particular, the mediated moderation effect of the diversity and reliability of accessed knowledge on the centrality of intra-team knowledge network and employee creativity was analyzed. The data were gathered via questionnaires completed by R&D employees and leaders in biopharmaceutical companies in China. The results indicated that the reliability of accessed knowledge moderated the relation between the diversity of the accessed knowledge and centrality of intra-team knowledge network. The centrality, in turn, improved employee creativity. Theoretical and practical suggestions for R&D management are discussed.