IS BEING A GOOD LEARNER ENOUGH? AN EXAMINATION OF THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN LEARNING GOAL ORIENTATION AND IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT TACTICS ON CREATIVITY

This study explores how proteges' learning goal orientation (LGO) and impression management (IM) tactics interact to explain mentors' provision of mentoring functions and ultimately, proteges' creativity. Using longitudinal data from 917 mentor-protege dyads participating in an 8-month mentoring program, we found that proteges' mentor-focused and self-focused IM tactics strengthened the relationship between proteges' LGO and the extent of mentoring provided by mentors, whereas job-focused IM tactics weakened this relationship. Moreover, these IM tactics moderated the indirect effect of proteges' LGO on proteges' creativity through the extent of mentoring provided by mentors. Implications for organizational theory and practice are discussed.