25 
 
CHAPTER 2 
LITERATURE REVIEW 
 
2.1 Introduction  
This chapter presents a literature review of the impact of competency-based 
training (training environment and training strategy) on employee performance. The 
literature review is also done on the impact of applying creative thinking (leader's 
vision and culture of creative thinking) on employee performance. A comprehensive 
vision of the police was presented in training programs and explained the reality of 
training programs and their impact on employee performance in PCP. A summary of 
the essential theoretical studies in the policy related to training programs and 
employee performance was also presented.  
The literature review of the employee performance concept was presented, and 
its components were identified, as the literature shows. In addition, the employee 
performance components were determined according to previous studies, which are 
the quality of work and employee innovation. The impact of competency-based 
training on employee performance has been studied. Also, the impact of creative 
thinking application on employee performance was studied. Moreover, the impact of 
competency-based training on employee performance was studied. Finally, the 
mediator impact of experience between competency-based training, creative thinking 
application, and Employee Performance has been studied. 
 
  
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2.2 Palestinian Civil Police (PCP)   
Employee performance at PCP has attracted the attention of senior management, 
which leads to an integrated department to ensure the improvement of employee 
performance. PCP is made up of 28 specialized departments. It is responsible for 
ensuring law enforcement, maintaining stability, and combating crime. A specialized 
training department is concerned with training program planning, implementation, and 
evaluation. The police force carries out an annual training plan through the training 
department and implements various programs. In 2019, 268 courses and activities of 
different programs targeting 3588 PCP members were completed internally. 
Externally, 126 courses and activities targeting 394 PCP members were completed. 
Below is the table of activities (PCP, 2020). The achievement rate of the training plan 
is explained in Table 2.1 as shown below: 
Table 2.1: The Achievement Rate of the Training Plan 2019 
Activities 
No. of 
Activities 
No. of 
Trainees 
No. of Internal Courses 190 2671 
No. of External Courses 51 264 
No. of Internal Workshops 61 858 
No. of External Workshops 9 9 
Sports Championship Events 1 6 
Meetings, Conferences, and other internal activities 17 59 
Meetings, Conferences, and other external activities  65 115 
Total 394 3982 
      Source: PCP (2020) 
 
PCP seeks to constantly improve employee performance to improve the services 
provided to people. The organization strongly believes in training to improve 
employee performance and prepares training plans targeting their employee. The 
training plan called for 6430 officers to be trained, with 3982 completing 279 of the 
365 courses of the plan that was initially scheduled; 76% were completed. In 2015, 
  
27 
PCP created a comprehensive review report on training programs at the PCP force in 
collaboration with a human dynamics company. This report evaluated the impact of 
the training programs and their strengths and weaknesses. his is to gain a 
comprehensive understanding of the program's content and its relationship to the 
objectives (PCP, 2020). From the review report, it was found that there are five types 
of training programs, as follows: 
 
2.2.1 The Foundation Program at the PCP 
The program aims to empower new entrants with knowledge and skills to 
engage in police job scopes. Target group: This training program is aimed at male and 
female students over 18 years old (most of whom are between 18 and 22 years old). It 
targets those who hold educational certificates up to their first university degree (GIZ, 
2015) and the age and educational background requirements. Participants in 
introductory training courses must meet other requirements. Other requirements are as 
follows:  
i. Have a clean criminal record. 
ii. Have Palestinian nationality. 
iii. Have an appropriate level of physical fitness.  
iv. Pass the preliminary examination, which includes physical, medical, and 
general knowledge tests (GIZ, 2015). 
 
Participants are required to join the foundation training program, ranging from 
10 to 12 courses out of 17 training courses designed specifically for the program. 
Furthermore, the components of the training program offered each time are dependent 
on the trainer's availability. Alternatively, adequate copies of the training manuals are 
  
28 
provided for the participants. The courses are (i) First Aid, (ii) Communications and 
Reporting, (iii) Weapons, (iv) Moral Guidance, (v) Islamic Culture, (vi) National 
Culture, (vii) Self Defense, (viii) Security Sciences, (ix) Fitness, (x) Drugs, (xi) 
Traffic, (xii) Pedestrians, (xiii) Information Technology (xiv) Field Police Operations, 
(xv) Rules of Conduct, (xvi) Introduction to Science Legal, and (xvii) Police Duties.  
In terms of training manuals, each training course consists of several teaching 
units, and each unit of study consists of several lessons that begin with training 
objectives. Training guides are closer to a book than training manuals and include 
limited instructions on the criteria applied in training. It should be noted that these 
courses are designed to follow the different materials curriculum. Each course is self-
contained, and its link is deemed weak (GIZ, 2015). 
 
2.2.2 The Leader's Program at PCP 
The program targets trained participants to build and improve leadership and 
management skills for police members and security services to prepare and run their 
activities effectively and efficiently (GIZ, 2015). This form of training is referred to as 
the "Advanced Training" of the PCP organization. It focuses on middle-level 
management, middle-level senior officers, and the senior officers under the 
Professional Development Program, which has prepared a plan for its planning and 
launch of learning. The system shall be approved by the Military Training Authority 
(GIZ, 2015). 
The training revolves around experts' lectures, but the trainers also employ 
effective training methodologies, such as brainstorming, discussion, and presentations. 
The leader's program shall be introduced to three groups of participants as follows:  
  
29 
i. Senior officers' session: It is a training program designed to prepare and 
qualify the second row of leaders to prepare them to receive the first positions 
in their institutions. The course duration ranges from 3 to 4 months. 
Approximate 240 people have been trained and participated in the following 
training courses, which are part of the training course: (i) Preparation for the 
Security institution, (ii) Crisis management, (iii) Disaster management, (iv) 
Joint operations, (v) International relations, and (vi) Decision-making in the 
region. 
ii. Intermediate Leader's Course: It is a training course targeting middle leaders. 
The course is carried out within two months. The following training courses 
are offered: (i) Basic skills in thinking, (ii) Analysis and communication, (iii) 
International and regional context, (v) Conflict management, (v) Leaders and 
management, (vi) the rule of law, (vii) Security media, (viii) The historical 
development of security forces, (ix) Types and functions of  Employee, (x) 
Control functions (leader's control and communications), (xi) Operations, and 
(xii) Practical applications. 
iii. Foundation Leader's Course: The course is implemented within seven weeks. 
The course content is already mentioned in the intermediate leader's course but 
with axes commensurate with this group of participants (GIZ, 2015).   
 
2.2.3 In-service Training Program at PCP 
In-service training is defined as a process in which specific effects are intended 
to be produced by a group of people. This training makes the participants more 
efficient and capable of completing their current and future tasks. Moreover, this 
course develops trainees' knowledge, enhances their skills, and continuously promotes 
  
30 
their competencies (GIZ, 2015). The concept of in-service training is limited to the 
training department of the PCP organization. This aligns with exercises carried out 
abroad or implemented as joint projects with local institutions. For instance, e-
curriculum development projects with Birzeit University or projects sponsored by the 
donors include the United Nations Office for Services Projects (UNOPS) and the 
German Association for International Cooperation (GIZ). In-service training at PCP is 
sporadic and not mandatory. This relies on a comprehensive professional learning 
system, which is not subject to rules or structured schedules. It should also not be part 
of a formal process for identifying training topics and goals. In-service training 
courses vary from a few days to several months (GIZ, 2015).  
 
2.2.4 The Qualification Program at PCP  
In consonance with, the evaluation report for the qualifying program, this 
curriculum is very similar to the foundation program in terms of its overall 
framework, essential elements, teaching guides, and participant evaluation 
methodologies. Although the purpose of the program varies in theory, the managers, 
organizers of the program, and its participants claim that: ''The main goal of the 
program is to move the rank to a new rank officer with the rank of lieutenant, and to 
qualify from the rank of honorary officer to the rank of serving officer" (GIZ, 2015). 
The program's primary purpose is to improve the knowledge and skills of the 
non-commissioned officers who received the promotion after earning their first 
university degree and following the provisions of the applicable law (GIZ, 2015). In 
terms of the overall framework and training courses, it is observed that there is a lack 
of consistency in the program components in terms of the courses offered each time 
the training is held (GIZ, 2015). 
  
31 
2.2.5 Specialist Training at PCP 
This form of training aims to hold training courses for police officers, following 
their professional expertise. This training helps to improve knowledge and skills and 
allows the employee to carry out their duties efficiently and effectively. The specialist 
training course is organized over 10-14 days (GIZ, 2015). In most cases, the study of 
training needs is not done satisfactorily. Therefore, it is challenging to prepare 
standardized courses. It is cumbersome to draw on the knowledge and skills of the 
scattered learners in these classes, given the lack of a structured curriculum for basic 
training (GIZ, 2015). 
 
2.2.6 Reviewing Training Programs at PCP 
Having analyzed the history of training at PCP and the nature of the systems, it 
is clear that quality of work and employee innovation are largely lacking in 
competency-based training and skills of creative thinking (GIZ, 2015). The police 
force does not follow a guide to constructing planning and assessing competency-
based training (training environment and strategy). There are no special rules that 
govern the implementation of the planned curricula. However, police officers approve 
it and the acceptance of training curricula provided by donors (PCP, 2020). On the 
other hand, some training curricula are "inherited" from other police agencies. Such 
training curricula were developed by the police officer who entrusted them with this 
task without having sufficient knowledge that would allow them to prepare the 
training program often (GIZ, 2015). 
Upon reviewing the audit report on the five training programs at the PCP force, 
it became clear that these systems are not pending a straightforward creative thinking 
application (leader's vision and culture of creative thinking). They are also not hinging 
  
32 
on transparent training procedures, a training system, and a policy that encourages 
creative thinking. Therefore, it is concluded that the training programs' knowledge, 
skills, and goals do not contribute to the components of creative thinking and hence do 
not enhance employee performance (Quality of work and employee innovation) at the 
PCP.  
 
2.3 Employee Performance  
Employee performance is the extent to which a person performs the 
responsibilities of his job and completes the tasks assigned to him. It refers to the 
quality of work and employee innovation in work. Employee performance is also a 
factor in determining how well a service company works (Pradhan & Jena, 2017). It 
also refers to how well a person does his job, completes essential tasks with 
innovation, and innovatively behaves in the workplace. The quality of work is a factor 
in determining an employee's performance (Diamantidis & Chatzoglou, 2018). As 
stated by Ramya (2016), employee performance can be considered a process or a 
result of work. It refers to how work is carried out to achieve desired results. On the 
other hand, the work results show performance. This refers to the quality of work, 
which reflects the quality of services for companies. It also indicates how the 
employee is empowered with innovative skills in implementing a work. 
 
2.3.1 Factors Affecting Employee Performance 
 As reported by Diamantidis and Chatzoglou (2018), there are five indicators for 
gauging individual employee performance: 
i. Quality: employee perceptions of work quality, job perfection, and employee 
competency are used to determine work quality. 
  
33 
ii. Quantity: It produces an amount represented in words like the number of units 
produced or activities completed in a cycle. 
iii. Punctuality: It is an activity level that is completed early in the timeline, as 
seen from a coordination perspective with the output result, to maximize the 
time available for additional activities. 
iv. Effectiveness: It utilizes organizational resources (energy, money, technology, 
and raw materials) that are maximized to increase the result if each unit uses 
resources effectively. 
v. Independence: It is the degree to which an employee will be able to manage 
his or her workstation. An employee who has a work commitment to the 
company and duties towards the office has a high level of work commitment.  
Conforming to studies, various elements influence employee performance in 
firms. Subjective elements, which significantly impact employee performance, are 
essential. Employee performance is influenced by external factors such as the 
organization's strategies, environment, and culture (El-Kassar & Singh, 2019). A well-
trained employee, just like a researcher, is intelligent, eager, and talented. He/she has 
enough experience to accomplish a good job. These characteristics are crucial for 
distinction. High, medium, and poor employee performance in management is 
determined mainly by the following factors (El-Kassar & Singh, 2019): 
i. Workability: There is a positive link between cognitive competency and 
employee performance. These competencies are hereditary or acquired through 
preparation (before starting the work) with practice, training, and learning.   
ii. Knowledge: Employee performance is linked to knowledge. Individuals with a 
high level of knowledge, including being more successful in achieving the 
desired performance, are also more creative. 
  
34 
iii. Work experience: Researchers feel a beneficial association between work 
experience and employee performance.  
iv. Personality: Emotional stability, extroversion, openness to experience, 
kindness, and feeling are the five dimensions of personality.  
 
2.3.2 Components of Employee Performance  
 In agreement with several studies, the components of employee performance 
can be considered as the following: 
 
2.3.2.1 Quality of Work 
In-depth research on employee performance has indicated that work quality is 
essential in determining employee performance. Quality work refers to work that 
meets and exceeds the expectations of a client or company. Conducting good work 
requires creativity to complete duties to the highest standard (Srivastava & Kanpur, 
2014). Getting work done on time is critical for the employee to increase productivity. 
However, if the quality of work is not up to the highest standard, it will negatively 
affect employee productivity (Ramya, 2016). Some studies have isolated specific 
characteristics from the quality of work, but most research on employee performance 
considered the quality of work to be the container that holds all of the factors 
(Wheatley, 2021). 
The preparation of the employee competency affects the employee's 
performance and the employee himself/herself. This is expressed in the following 
benefits: increasing the skills of the employee growing his/her enthusiasm for work 
renewing the expertise and knowledge of the employee, and improving their capacity 
to compete with others (Qu, Janssen, & Shi, 2015). The ability to keep current on 
  
35 
technological and business advancements while ensuring that staff is regularly trained. 
Nonetheless, the individual receives a promotion and a higher income than previously, 
demonstrating that they learn and use their talents (Wheatley, 2021).  
Employee performance requires a measurable pattern of skills, knowledge, 
abilities, behaviors, and other traits to perform and complete their job tasks 
(Srivastava & Kanpur, 2014). Their competencies are typically viewed as a broad and 
holistic understanding of an employee's performance. Negotiation skills, analytical 
thinking, goal planning, self-confidence, problem-solving, and honesty are some of 
the most sought-after employee abilities (Nayak et al., 2018). Campbell's model was 
one of the first competency models, and it was followed by many others, such as 
McClelland's, Burgoyne and Stuart, and Boyatzis's (Phillips, 2014). The term 
"competence" is used to describe a person's entire set of abilities, skills, behaviors, and 
knowledge geared towards the effective quality of work in a particular work context. 
According to Klein, Wallis, and Cooke (2013), abilities are the characteristics of 
behavior that firms must have to attain high performance. Many benefits linked with 
competency utilization have been established in organizational behavior studies, such 
as reduced training expenses, reduced staff turnover, or enhanced employee 
productivity, resulting in improved quality of work (Nayak et al., 2018).   
When it comes to manufacturing commodities in industrial and service 
organizations, productivity is typically defined by the speed with which work is 
accomplished and the value of the task performed without losing the quality of the 
service provided. In addition, in industrial organizations, a ratio of total output to a 
single or aggregate input, i.e., output per unit of input, is used in the production 
process, generally over a predetermined time (Wheatley, 2021).  
  
36 
Employee productivity is a significant aspect of an organization's success. 
Increased productivity can help businesses improve their competitive posture and 
profit margins (Srivastava & Kanpur, 2014). Employees must deliver the number of 
services expected to be given to service recipients to boost productivity in meeting the 
organization's goals. As a result, trust between the organization and its employees, and 
service recipients, on the other, is strengthened. Organizations concentrate on both 
qualitative and quantitative output. While the quantity of work is crucial, it must be 
balanced with the quality of work (Nayak et al., 2018).   
Practical time management skills help the employee be more productive, leading 
to a higher quality of work. These competencies will enable the employee to execute 
things swiftly without sacrificing quality (Shen, Benson, & Huang, 2014). The 
employee will be able to focus more on urgent activities if they have good time 
management abilities. Practical time management competencies can benefit not just 
one‘s career but also life in general. Employees' skills in completing work make better 
judgments and cope with work developments in unconventional but innovative ways 
to improve when they can manage their time while facing work challenges and control 
their performance (Eslamian, Akbarpoor, & Hoseini, 2015).  
"Time management," in keeping with Wheatley (2021), is the process of 
organizing and planning how to distribute time between various activities. It enables 
the employee to manage their time better and work smarter rather than harder, 
allowing them to complete more things in less time. This influences employee 
performance and their competency to persevere in the face of work obstacles, 
especially when time is limited, and expectations are substantial. The employee will 
feel calm and in control if they handle their time in an organized manner. It lowers the 
likelihood of making a poor judgment. Apart from that, it also improves the level of 
  
37 
service by completing work promptly, attaining the productivity objective, and raising 
the quality of work (Ramya, 2016). 
 Following the literature research findings, job knowledge is an essential 
component of job quality and impacts the quality of work (Ramya, 2016). Work 
practices, policies and procedures, resources, regulations, customer service, and 
technical information, as well as the work link to the organization's objective, all 
contribute to the measuring of basic job-related knowledge and abilities displayed by 
the employee (Eslamian et al., 2015) to perform employee functions properly and 
apply in-depth knowledge. Because of this knowledge and experience, the employee 
feels confident in addressing the current advances in work conditions by improving 
the quality of work and services supplied to service recipients. Employee behavior, 
work productivity, and the organization's problem resolution are all influenced by 
having job knowledge that indicates a deep awareness of how to accomplish routine 
work activities and how those duties relate to areas of innovation (Eslamian et al., 
2015).  
Wheatley (2021) believed that job knowledge is linked to increased employee 
productivity, which is dependent on benefiting from coworkers with several years of 
experience. The employee can draw on the knowledge and experience of their peers to 
figure out the best approach to get things done. They will also feel more appreciated in 
a company that listens to their suggestions. This can improve corporate productivity 
by putting internal expertise to greater use. 
 
2.3.2.2 Employee Innovation  
Innovation is defined as the individual's ability to develop new ideas and 
methods. This is to implement them in ways unfamiliar to others, given that they are 
  
38 
consistent with the situation. Moreover, it represents the individual's ability to use 
ideas or techniques already in place but in a new and improved way, (Fischer & Afifi, 
2013) The study by Martíne (2015) found a reason for the distinction between 
creativity and innovation. In the manner of the study, creativity refers to developing a 
new concept or strategy, while innovation refers to beginning something new on the 
market or in business. Thus, creativity is the work of developing new concepts, 
imaginations, and skills, while innovation is the implementation of a new and 
successful product.   
On the other hand, Teng, Hu, and Chang (2020) defined innovation as the 
quality of thinking about new ideas and making them represent creativity, which 
includes implementing and putting creative ideas into action. As a result, creativity is 
transformed into an innovative process, whereas innovation is productive. Measuring 
creativity is difficult, whereas measuring innovation is simple. Employee performance 
is observed to increase firm performance indirectly through innovation, as employees 
produce new products or service ideas to improve the firm's competitiveness (Teng et 
al., 2020). 
Organizations have become increasingly reliant on creative thinking to thrive 
and succeed due to rapid technological advancements and fierce global competition 
(Wang, Xue, & Su, 2010). Companies face the challenge of supporting creativity and 
innovation to improve competency in the current complicated and competitive 
environment (Burlacu, 2011). In this sense, innovation and creativity are critical 
factors for enhancing and encouraging the performance of organizations (Wang, Rode, 
Shi, Luo, & Chen, 2013). To enhance employee innovation and job competency, 
organizations must encourage innovative behavior among their employee (Herrmann 
& Felfe, 2013). This includes the need to employ and assess variables and elements 
  
39 
capable of improving employee innovation. Furthermore, it is also important to 
provide valuable insights to improve job competency using creative thinking.                                                                       
The value of innovation is increasing the quality of the service and improving 
the personal abilities of the participant. This improvement can be made through group 
engagement and brainstorming practice, which strengthens the institution's reputation 
in customers' eyes. It also helps create a competitive spirit within institutions and find 
ways to increase employee innovation (Kabasheva, Rudaleva, Bulnina, & Askhatova, 
2015). Furthermore, it helps to improve the quality of decisions made within the 
company to solve problems in various areas aside from problems related to the 
training environment itself, whether cultural, technological, or marketing. 
Additionally, it contributes to the institution's success by shortening the time between 
product launches, allowing it to compete concerning time (Herrmann & Felfe, 2013).  
Khan and Mohiya (2020) study found that all innovation practices can be traced 
back to employees' actions. This makes the employee the focal point for organizations 
to boost their innovation capability. As an employee may or not be able to foster 
innovation, it is essential to build unique qualities and characteristics that make it 
possible for an employee to be innovative. This can be done during the process of 
creative and mental growth or the execution of their duties. 
 
2.3.3 The Impact of Competency-based Training on Employee Performance  
Competency-based training is a method of imparting specific abilities to 
improve employee performance (Rachman, 2023). Each skill or learning outcome 
(competency) is part of a broader educational or training aims to improve employee 
performance. It is treated as a separate learning unit that must be worked on one at a 
time. The organization requiring the training determines the degree of competency, 
  
40 
and the learner is assessed on each skill (Gonczi, 2012). Competencies help 
individuals polish their personalities and focus their behavior on desired patterns to 
meet the organization's goals including improving employee performance (Shen et al., 
2013). Edwin Locke's goal-setting theory proposes that goal-setting has a direct 
impact on performance (Lunenburg, 2011). Edwin Locke also discovered through his 
decade of laboratory drives and field research experiences that 90 percent of 
employees put in more time and desire for learning if specific and more demanding 
goals motivate them to improve performance. This is because people feel more 
accomplished and satisfied if they strive harder to obtain these goals rather than ones 
that are often simple and vague (Swann et al., 2023). 
Individuals can learn specific competencies more accurately and timely because 
of competency-based training's flexibility and training environment (Rachman, 2023). 
It also indicates that they will be able to advance up the competence hierarchy more 
quickly than they would with standard training methods. It impacts job quality and 
achievement when these competencies are directed at employee performance at 
various administrative levels (Chappell et al., 2020). It also enables the employee to 
make the most of available resources by allowing them to complete jobs quickly and 
confidently, hence increasing productivity. This is an accurate indicator of the 
existence of a relationship that has the potential to have a substantial impact on 
employee performance (Tripathi & Agrawal, 2014).  
Training strategy includes developing tasks, knowledge, and attitudes to boost 
employee performance (Imanipour, Ebadi, Monadi Ziarat, & Mohammadi, 2022). 
With competency-based training, learners can study at their own pace, reviewing or 
practicing learning outcomes as needed and moving swiftly through the abilities in 
which they are more adept (Gonczi, 2012). Competency-based training is ideally 
  
41 
suited to business and corporate training, where numerous skills and abilities must be 
assessed separately because it requires mastery of each learning outcome or skill to 
improve the quality of work (Sugiarti, 2022). Successful organizations have strategic 
competencies that set them apart from their competitors. This is related to 
competencies because organizations are known to succeed at competencies such as 
innovation, low cost, and service (Chappell et al., 2020). Just as, in goal-setting 
theory, excellent training is an important aspect of setting the aim of boosting 
employee performance. The idea emphasizes the significance of decisions and policies 
in developing employee performance to improve the quality of work at work 
(Lunenburg, 2011). 
Companies can uncover gaps that obstruct immediate and long-term strategic 
results when conducting performance-wide competency evaluations (Khan, Raya, & 
Viswanathan, 2022). After recognizing competency gaps, HR professionals are better 
positioned to make better judgments regarding recruitment, hiring, onboarding, 
performance management, compensation planning, and succession planning (Tripathi 
& Agrawal, 2014). Competency-based training requires distinct competencies 
characterized by flexibility, creativity, seriousness, and effective reaction to create 
knowledge and abilities that improve performance. As a result, Gonczi (2012) 
believed that training employees to be creative thinkers is essential to achieving 
training competencies. This necessitates several factors, the most important of which 
are a clear training strategy for achieving the objectives and an integrated training 
environment capable of adapting to this type of training. Edwin Locke also verified 
the goal-setting theory, which states that targeted and precise training motivates 
employees and increases their performance. Furthermore, this form of training 
motivates employees to innovate. 
  
42 
 Rajapathirana et al. (2018) stated that the company's competency-based 
training also contributes to developing the quality of the provided services and the 
employee expertise to achieve creative performance. In other words, the role of the 
competency-based training stemming from the organization's overall strategy 
contributes to the development of the employee's personality. Furthermore, employees 
should be allowed to carry out their tasks innovatively. Competency-based training 
provides the employee with skills with innovative features. Therefore, to describe the 
proposed hypothesis in the present study, the relationship between the independent 
variable which is competency-based training, and the dependent variable represented 
by employee performance is developed. As a result, the study aims to investigate a 
hypothesis to describe the relationship between the two variables.  
As concluded by the above review of literature, the present study is designed to 
test the following hypothesis:         
H1: There is a significant impact of competency-based training on employee 
performance at the PCP.  
 
2.3.4 The Impact of Creative Thinking Application on Employee 
Performance  
Several studies have established that creative thinking application is linked to 
employee performance, including music and information technology (Michaelis & 
Markham, 2017; Redifer et al., 2019). In line with some evidence, cognitive inventory 
may have an impact on creative components, which are creative motivation, creative 
thinking, and professional perspective, as well as creative to boost employee 
performance (León-Mantero, Casas-Rosal, Pedrosa-Jesús, & Maz-Machado, 2020; 
Martíne, 2015). Sternberg's theory of successful intelligence aims to explain 
  
43 
achievement in all aspects of a person's life, rather than just school grades. The theory 
predicts effective intelligence in three dimensions: analytical, creative, and practical. 
Conforming to the premise, applying creativity in the workplace improves employee 
performance and behavior. The use of creativity affects the employee's attitudes and 
level of inventiveness (Sternberg, Chowkase, Parra, & Landy, 2022).  
Schmidt et al. (2016), explained that creative thinking application is related to 
employee performance, which is critical in enhancing the competencies of individuals 
in organizations. The application of creative thinking in decision-making necessitates 
functional competencies that improve the quality and speed of decision-making. To 
the degree that the study, creative thinking boosts employee confidence and enhances 
their ability to improve performance. Meanwhile, concerning Barrett et al. (2011) the 
leader's vision has a significant impact on the success of using creative thinking as a 
sustainable method in organizations, which helps improve the quality of work and 
results in increased profitability for the company owing to improved employee 
performance. The application of creative thinking also encourages innovation. The 
entrepreneur can think about the things available to him/her and the commonplace 
things in a new way, perceive them from a different perspective, and start from this 
point precisely with constant work to reach innovation (Pursitasari, Alfitriyani, & 
Kurniasih, 2022). 
As stated in some studies, encouraging the employee to innovate is not a 
spontaneous process. Preparation and training revolve around creative ideas and 
training in thinking outside the box is required. It allows the employee to select from 
various options to solve work-related issues. It is associated with employee motivation 
and encourages them to search and explore to boost employee performance 
(Balakrishnan, 2022; Martíne 2015; Motlokoa et al., 2018). Boyce, Nieminen, 
  
44 
Gillespie, Ryan, and Denison (2015) indicated that innovative employees could deal 
with work problems. By being innovative, employees can reduce mistakes made, 
which will make employees express their competencies with confidence. The 
employee can hone their innovation skills and confidently solve job difficulties using 
creative thinking. Employee performance may be improved by paying attention to 
innovation and providing them with inventive functional abilities. This allows them to 
improve service quality. 
According to Redifer et al. (2019), training creative workers has several 
advantages for the company, the chief one being an increase in worker productivity 
and employee performance. Employees who have a sense of belonging to the 
organization will feel a sense of justice. The employees in the organization should 
interact with one another as partners, not as an employee. The extent of employee 
convictions to maintain a policy of production progress and resistance to change is 
related to the degree of innovation.  
In consonance with Barrett et al. (2011), the implementation of creative thinking 
as a strategy in an organization should be accompanied by a creative culture that 
convinces employees of the value of creative thinking in increasing their performance 
and productivity. As found by Pathiranage (2019), one of the performance goals that 
management should pay attention to is the culture of innovativeness to improve 
employee performance over time. That study argued that having a dedicated media 
department that assists performance management in promoting a creative culture is 
advantageous in the long run. In keeping with a literature survey on creative thinking 
application, this idea has two primary components. These two elements are the 
leader's vision and the culture of creative thinking, which could be enhanced through 
training. Both have an impact on employee performance.  
  
45 
In light of the above review of literature, the present study aims to test the 
following hypothesis:        
H2: There is a significant impact of creative thinking application on employee 
performance at the PCP.  
 
2.4 The Impact of competency-based training on Experience 
Competency-based training helps people build desirable attributes and skills, 
which leads to greater employability and lifelong learning. This sort of learning is 
mastery-based, proficiency-based, or experience-based learning (Wongnaa & Boachie, 
2018). These skills impact experience knowledge, talents, and behaviors which can 
guide the employee into behavioral patterns that support the company's objectives. It 
allows the employee to innovate by using job inputs creatively and performing in a 
modern and inventive style that is bolstered by confidence, freedom, and originality 
(Shishigu, 2022). In line with a literature survey on competency-based training, this 
idea has two primary components. These two components are the training 
environment and the training strategy, which both impact experience (Imanipour et al., 
2022). 
Chris et al. (2022) explained that experience correlates with the organization's 
leadership policies and includes developing an effective training climate for 
competency-based training. This can be attained by providing an environmental and 
organizational climate that improves the experience. Management policies should be 
rational and realistic to improve competency-based training. The study also mentioned 
that providing a training environment is governed by defined policies that help steer 
training programs toward enhancing experience. This integrated process of the 
  
46 
training environment's components interacts with each other, which will impact 
experience.  
Larson (2020) explained that developing these abilities to improve employee 
competencies improves experience and offers employees confidence in how they can 
achieve their goals and solve problems. This increases the employee's competency to 
accomplish his/her job and improves the experience. That study explained that the 
trainers and trainees require a training environment that supports this task to gain 
knowledge and creative skills. Also, the study by Chepkemoi et al. (2022) explained 
that the training environment affects the functional competencies that the organization 
wishes to implant in the employee to support his/her experience. Providing an 
integrated environment with tools and compatibility with tasks raises employee 
productivity and is an incentive to develop experience. 
The Training Department follows a training strategy that includes choices and 
procedures aimed at helping an employee develop experience (Kem, 2022). The 
competencies are designed to improve experience by increasing the quality of work 
and the speed with which it is completed. Most organizations want to use their 
training strategy to help them reach their aim of growing revenues while preserving 
service quality by promoting employee innovation and building experience (Granberg 
et al., 2022; Rajapathirana et al., 2018).   
Rampa and Agogué (2021) explained that the training strategy defines the 
requirements and characteristics of the training method for competency-based 
training. The curriculum sets objectives for competency-based training in line with the 
company's overall goals. One of the most important objectives of the training strategy 
is to provide creative inputs to the training process to achieve competencies. The 
company's training strategy also plays a role in determining the quality of training 
  
47 
portfolios to ensure that the creative benefits of the training process are realized. This 
is also part of initiatives to improve the quality of services provided and employee 
experiences. 
Considering the above review of literature, the present study aims to test the 
following hypothesis:        
H3: There is a significant impact of competency-based training on experiences at the 
PCP.  
 
2.5 The Impact of Creative Thinking Application on Experiences 
The ability to use creative thinking is contingent upon an individual's prior 
cognitive experiences, as well as their capacity to defy common sense and established 
conventions. It refers to a way of thinking that generates information about 
overcoming obstacles at work to comprehend certain aspects of job activities 
(Balakrishnan, 2022). Since the creative person is a thinker and an intelligent person 
based on skills, there is no doubt that there is a profound and virtually cohesive 
relationship between the application of creative thinking and experience. Furthermore, 
persistence in enhancing one's knowledge and abilities, enhancement of one's work 
behavior, and diligence as an enthusiastic, adaptable, and highly productive individual 
are attributes that define creativity (Kim, Yi, & Ko, 2023). 
Creative thinking application in an organization needs the backing of managers 
and executives. To accomplish desired experiences, the leader is interested in guiding 
staff members to expand their experiences within training programs (Mumford, 
Fichtel, England, & Newbold, 2023). Furthermore, fostering a culture of innovation 
within the company fosters an environment that is conducive to the development of 
  
48 
knowledge. Implementing rules that encourage a creative thinking culture through 
rewards and training would enhance experiences for employees (Amari, 2023). 
Experience is affected by the leader's vision in terms of training objectives that 
the institution wants to achieve (Hu et al., 2022). Alicia (2019) explained that in terms 
of goals, the leader's vision impacts the experience in organizations. When the leader's 
vision calls for innovative thinking training to be implemented, the organizations are 
most likely to see an increase in their employee competencies as the training will 
polish their experience. Ideally, the leader's vision is to improve the experience, raise 
competencies, and build intellectual talents to incorporate innovation into the 
workplace. A leader‘s vision can guide the organization to focus on building creative 
and functional capabilities that the leader wishes to achieve, especially when he/she 
has a future vision for improving the experience. Carton, Murphy, and Clark (2014) 
explained that leaders should have a fundamental vision to change all aspects of 
experience and achieve competitive advantages. This can be accomplished by 
improving service quality either with innovative training or by improving employee 
intellectual competencies. A leader's vision is about developing innovative, modern, 
and trailblazing training curricula. Implementing a good leader‘s vision assists 
organizations in improving their skills, including problem-solving skills among its 
members.  
Saleem, Khan, and Syed (2021), stated that the senior leaders' interest in 
developing a culture of creative thinking in government personnel will impact their 
experience. To reach this purpose, one of the ways to establish a company culture 
concerned with creative thinking requires a plan supported by the leadership and 
directed decisions and activities. That study went on to say that expanding an 
employee's idea is both motivating and morally rewarding. This affects the employee's 
  
49 
desire to think creatively and motivates them to improve their experience. In line with 
Martíne (2015), organizational culture can be a broad notion, but it mainly refers to 
how management and employees‘ values and actions combine to create a distinct 
work environment. Experience is affected by the spread of a specific culture in the 
organization, whether due to a shift in technology, the development of production 
lines, or even job rotation, especially if the culture is related to mental skills, including 
creative thinking.  
Considering the above review of literature, the present study aims to test the 
following hypothesis:        
H4: There is a significant impact of creative thinking application on experiences at the 
PCP.  
 
2.6 The Impact of Experience on Employee performance 
The term " experience" describes all of an employee's interactions, opinions, and 
sentiments over their tenure at the organization (Yadav & Dhar, 2021). It displays the 
worker's interaction with the company on a professional level from the moment of 
employment application to the worker's departure. Because it is correlated with 
employee performance, executives and HR professionals in organizations today spend 
a great deal of focus on raising employee experience levels. The employee journey is 
extensive and includes everything from hiring and onboarding to training and 
development to firing an employee. The daily experience of an employee is contingent 
upon their professional achievements and pivotal occasions, both of which have an 
impact on their performance (Sinambela & Ernawati, 2021).  
Experience is a measure of the length of time or period of work that a person 
can understand job tasks and perform them well (Rivaldo & Nabella, 2023; Yadav & 
  
50 
Dhar, 2021). Experienced applicants are typically preferred over inexperienced ones 
by corporate organizations because experienced individuals are thought to be better 
capable of completing the tasks entrusted to them (Sinambela & Ernawati, 2021). The 
impact of experience on employee performance in organizations was demonstrated by 
Sinambela and Ernawati (2021) research. Furthermore, the study discovered that 
experience is crucial for completing tasks and equipping oneself with the knowledge 
to do the given task accurately. Work experience has a significant impact on an 
employee's performance since it raises the caliber of work that is produced. 
Recently, job experiences have received the attention and funding they merit, 
indicating a growing awareness of the significance of job experience management for 
the business and the organization, as well as the degree to which it affects employee 
performance. The skills an employee gains about the caliber of their work demonstrate 
how experience affects performance (Galanti, Guidetti, Mazzei, Zappalà, & Toscano, 
2021). Furthermore, the cultivation of excellent employee behavior contributes to 
increased productivity and a positive work environment, both of which enhance the 
company's reputation (Galanti et al., 2021). 
According to Khassawneh, Mohammad, and Ben-Abdallah (2022) research, 
experience plays a part in raising worker performance. According to the research, 
innovative abilities enhance employee performance and innovation in the workplace. 
Furthermore, the research has indicated that focusing training on creative abilities 
enhances employee experience, which influences performance improvement. 
Enhancing creativity and increasing experience are two things that the training 
department does well. The study also demonstrated the significance of the 
organization's intervention in helping employees advance their experience through 
training, independent study, and on-the-job training. 
  
51 
Finally, It was determined that experience affected employee performance by 
reviewing the literature on the subject. The knowledge base in experience and its 
influence on the caliber of work is the cause (Khassawneh et al., 2022; Sinambela & 
Ernawati, 2021; Yadav & Dhar, 2021). Along with the effectiveness of the abilities 
that underpin experience and how it affects output and performance.  
 Considering the above review of literature, the present study aims to test the 
following hypothesis:        
H5: There is a significant impact of experience on employee performance at the PCP. 
 
2.7 The Mediator Impact of Experience between Competency-based training 
and Employee Performance. 
Anggoro et al. (2022) defined experience as "a manifestation of the interactions 
of an organism and the environment". They used the term "dynamic" to describe the 
experience. He meant it in two ways. One refers to the pervasive quality that binds the 
experience elements in a continuum. Also, it means that the elements in a state of 
tension and conflict are also called dynamic; they strive to form the whole and 
reformulate the parts. They are constantly on the move to restore the lost balance. 
Experience derives from meditation and dealing with the environment surrounding 
education and training. In other words, experience is an interaction or transaction 
between an organism and the environment to achieve a state of satisfaction or 
equilibrium. In this sense, it is not purely formal; that is, it does not deal with things 
that occur exclusively in the mind and arise from concrete situations. Positive quality 
runs through all the experience elements by giving it unity and stability (McNeil 
2019). Experience indicates space and time and is a necessary precondition for human 
activity. 
  
52 
McNeil (2019) mentioned that competency could be described as the 
combination of training, skills, experience, and knowledge that people possess and 
their ability to apply it to perform a task safely. Other factors such as posture and 
physical ability can affect the quality of work. Nwata, Umoh, and Amah (2016) 
explained the experience of functional competence and its development in a 
workplace context. It turns out that experience impacts the training and learning 
environment in the workplace. An employee's work experience is a significant source 
of their competency. Their expertise mainly develops through on-the-job learning. The 
role of social participation in work communities and learning through experiences 
impacts employee innovation. The distinction between employee concepts also paves 
the way for more specific views on developing and using experience-based 
competence in work societies and organizations. Billett, Dymock, Johnson, and 
Martin (2011) explained that Building and developing functional competency for 
older workers in working life experience also serves several purposes in workplace 
learning among experienced workers. The older employee in the sample had more 
positive learning behavior might indicate an alternative path to further learning. 
Younger and older employees derive their sense of competence from their work and 
learning experiences. Engaging in non-formal learning may help older learners 
overcome, at least to some extent, their disadvantages when it comes to formal 
learning opportunities (Kahrović, 2020).  
Employee performance requires several pillars for his/her development, 
including the training strategy, which reflects the training system in the organization. 
Most organizations want to use their training strategy to help them reach their goal, 
including employee performance development. Organizational goals increase 
revenues while maintaining service quality by enhancing employee innovation and 
  
53 
building employee competencies (Rajapathirana et al., 2018). The employee 
experience that some employees possess because of learning and practicing jobs and 
practices may affect the objectives of the training strategy in developing the quality of 
work. Employee performance is affected by the employee's amount of experience 
because experience is a mixture of knowledge, skills, and determinants of behavior. 
The training strategy enables the identification of training methods and their contents 
to achieve training objectives to improve employee innovation. The experience here 
plays a role in enabling employee performance to develop within the training strategy 
and objectives. Experience affects the achievement of the goals of training programs 
directed at raising employee performance (Zacharias et al., 2021). As a result, the 
experience may impact verifying the relationship between Competency-based training 
on employee performance. The experience will be a mediating variable in verifying 
this effect between the dependent and independent variables. Relying on literature and 
the theory of the creative component, the hypothesis is developed.  
H6: There is a significant mediator impact of experience between competency-based 
training and employee performance at the PCP.  
 
2.8 The Mediator Impact of Experience between Creative Thinking 
Application and Employee Performance.   
Experience is essential for dealing with an employee with innovation and 
applying creative thinking. Experiences influence employee behavior toward 
innovatively solving work-related problems. It also gives them self-confidence in 
performing their duties in creative ways. Influencing behavior and consolidating the 
employee's conviction to think outside the box help employees search for excellence 
in implementing jobs (Eliyana & Ma‘arif, 2019). Experience enables the leader to 
  
54 
have a strong vision for employee development and job efficiency. This is essential to 
achieve goals and maintain high efficiency in services and products. This is reflected 
in developing strategies that enable the company to achieve a distinctive and robust 
competitive position due to quality services and an atmosphere of comfort for 
employees and service recipients (Herrmann & Felfe, 2013). There is no doubt that 
experience plays a role in employee performance by raising service efficiency, 
managing time, carrying out duties innovatively, enhancing self-confidence, and 
achieving a sense of belonging to the institution (Carton et al., 2014).  
     According to Simanjuntak, Pandjaitan, and Kuswanto (2018), the implementation 
of training must be supported by innovative methods and training systems that keep 
pace with scientific progress. Senior leaders' interest in developing a culture of 
creative thinking among employees will impact the quality of their work and the 
satisfaction of service recipients. To reach this purpose, one way to establish a 
corporate culture of creative thinking requires a plan supported by leadership and 
directed decisions and activities for experience. Afroz (2018) mentioned that 
expanding an employee's ideas is motivating and morally rewarding. This affects the 
employee's desire to think creatively and acts as a catalyst for improving the quality of 
work. Experience plays a role in the employee convictions of the importance of 
spreading a culture that impacts improving employee performance. Employee 
innovation is affected by the prevailing culture in the organization in terms of values, 
policies, and prevailing behavior. The news also impacts the employee‘s conviction in 
dealing with and respecting the organization's values. In addition, the experience 
enables the employee to deal with self-confidence in applying the company's policies 
and his/her awareness of the role of these policies in developing employee 
performance (Saleem et al., 2021). 
  
55 
In accord with Martíne (2015) employee performance is affected by the 
prevalence of a specific culture at work. It results from a shift in technology, the 
development of production lines, or even job rotation, especially if culture is related to 
mental skills, including creative thinking. The employee‘s experience impacts dealing 
with technological transformation and scientific progress due to the knowledge and 
skills that the employee possesses. Also, experience results from job rotation and 
affects employee performance due to expanding the employee's perceptions and 
his/her involvement in different jobs. All this leads to the employee gaining 
experiences that affect his/her convictions and duties in dealing with the dissemination 
of a culture of creative thinking.  Chiang, Hsu, and Shih (2015) indicated that 
employee performance is improved mainly by fostering a culture of innovative 
thinking in companies. When their correlation is examined, that study believed that 
company culture and employee performance are always linked. 
In conformity with a recent study, Pathiranage (2019), an assistant professor of 
psychology at the University of South Florida, Sarasota Manatee, said: ―We found that 
culture leads to better employee performance, not the other way around, but 
experience has a role in achieving an impact from employee performance to a 
particular culture in the enterprise‖. As a result, the experience may impact verifying 
the relationship between employee performance and its impact on creative thinking 
culture. The experience will be a mediating variable in verifying this effect between 
the dependent and independent variables. Based on the literature and the theory of the 
creative component, the hypothesis is developed.    
The above review of literature is related to the present study and is designed to 
test the following hypothesis: 
  
56 
H7: There is a significant mediator impact of experience between creative thinking 
application and employee performance at the PCP.  
 
2.9 Study Theories  
In consonance with Feist and Runco (1993), around 9,000 references to 
creativity and employee performance will be made in literature over the next 30 years. 
Today, the region has developed into a fertile ground marked by a diversity of styles, 
a diverse scope for creativity, and high levels of employee performance (Alghamdi, 
2018). Researchers from various disciplines, including psychologists, economics, 
entrepreneurial experts, organizational researchers, sociologists, and cultural theorists, 
are all interested in this (Khan, Bhatti, Hussain, Ahmad, & Iqbal, 2021). Table 2.2 
below summarizes the main categories of performance and creativity theories as 
defined by (Martíne, 2015). 
Table 2.2: Main Theoretical Approaches to Creativity 
Approach Primary Assertion Major studies 
Developmental Creativity develops over time (from 
potential to achievement); mediated 
by an interaction of a person and the 
environment 
(Albert, Runco,1989); 
(Helson,1999)  
(Subotnik , Arnold, 
1996) 
Psychometric Creativity can be measured reliably and 
validly, differentiating it from related 
constructs (IQ) and highlighting its 
domain-specific nature 
(Wallach, Kogan, 1965) 
(Guilford, 1968)  
Economic Creative ideation and behavior are 
influenced by‖ market forces‖ and 
cost-benefit analyses 
(Rubenson, Runco, 1992) 
(Sternberg, Lubart, 1992, 1995) 
(Florida, 2002)  
Stage and 
componential 
process 
Creative expression proceeds through a 
series of stages or components; the 
process can be linear and recursive. 
Elements 
(Wallace, 2012)  
(Runco, Chand, 1995)  
(Amabile, 1999)  
 
Cognitive 
Ideational thought processes are 
foundational to creative persons and 
Accomplishments 
 
 
(Mednick, 1962) 
(Guilford, 1968) 
Finke, Ward, and Smith, (1992) 
  
 
 
  
57 
Table 2.2: continued 
Approach Primary Assertion Major studies 
Problem-
solving and 
expertise-
based 
Creative solutions to ill-defined 
problems result from a rational 
process, which relies on general 
cognitive processes and domain 
expertise 
(Ericsson, 1999) 
(Simon, 1981, 1989) 
(Weisberg, 1999, 2006) 
Problem 
finding 
Creative people proactively engage in a 
subjective and exploratory process of 
identifying problems to be solved 
(Getzels, Csikszentmihalyi, 
1976) (Runco, 1994)  
Evolutionary Eminent creativity results from the 
evolutionary-like processes of blind 
generation and selective retention 
(Campbell, 1960) 
(Simonton, 1988, 1997) 
Typological Creators differ along with key 
individual differences, which are 
related to both macro and micro-level 
factors and can be classified via 
typologies 
(Galenson, 2001, 2006) 
(Kozbelt, 2008) 
Systems Creativity results from a complex 
system interacting and interrelated 
factor 
(Gruber, 1981) 
(Csikszentmihalyi ,1988) 
(Sawyer, 2006) 
Source: Martíne (2015) 
Many academics in psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, 
organizational behavior, and biology, as shown in Figure 2.1, have produced 
theoretical models to characterize and understand creativity and performance. It is 
worth noting that neuroscience Fullerton (2013) and psychiatry scholars are also 
looking at creativity and its relationship to human behavioral performance (Fullerton, 
2013). Nonetheless, although performance is still evolving, there are still some 
questions about creativity and how to improve performance. In the componential 
theories of creativity, Wallace (2012) set out to understand the essence and function of 
the creative cycle in improving performance in terms of phases that may be sequential 
or recurrent or underlying cognitive components (Kozbelt, Beghetto, & Runco, 2010). 
Consequently, most parts of the conceptualizations and the empirical work on 
organizational creativity depend on stage and system approaches. 
  
58 
Every theoretical viewpoint has its assumptions as to what could have an impact 
on creative performance. The developmental theories of creativity performance 
(Kozbelt et al., 2010; Sternberg et al., 2019) investigated the origins of creativity 
performance by looking at the history of known creative people. Early hypotheses in 
this category were established by analyzing the lives and history of eminent creative 
people. It proposed a connection between developmental performance and creativity. 
Psychometric theories (Wallace, 2012) focus on calculation and are concerned with 
the reliability (i.e., the precision of measurement) and the validity (i.e., accuracy) of 
imaginative evaluation. Psychometric theories tell all other innovative theories 
(Kozbelt et al., 2010). 
Economic approaches argue that creative performance is dictated by market 
forces or by the relationship between demand and the availability of creative ideas 
(Levickaitė, 2011). These concepts center on creative efforts that are calculated in 
terms of investment. Investigate creative processes consisting of demand-driven 
resource distribution frameworks and established creative markets. The stage and 
component theory of creativity (Amabile & Hennessey, 1999; Klein et al., 2013) set 
out to explain the essence and structure of the creative process in terms of phases that 
may be sequential or recursive or underlying cognitive components (Kozbelt et al., 
2010). Most of the conceptualizations and empirical studies on performance depend 
on the stage and part approaches.   
Business organizations face a chaotic, fast-paced, and ever-changing world that 
they need to adapt to thrive and succeed adequately (Sobratee & Bodhanya, 2018). 
Today's businesses face "an environment in which confusion is the only certainty", in 
which case "markets are evolving, innovations are proliferating, and competitors are 
multiplying. Almost overnight, goods become obsolete. In these circumstances, 
  
59 
"successful organizations are those that are constantly innovating with new 
technology. It spreads throughout the enterprise and quickly represents it in 
innovations. Such activities describe the "knowledge production" business, the only 
function of which is continuous innovation (Sobratee & Bodhanya, 2018; Ugwu & 
Ezema, 2018). 
There are also internal factors that make creativity seen as the key to innovation 
in today's organizations To add to the influence of the external world  (Ugwu & 
Ezema, 2018). As reported by Wheatley (2021), companies require innovative vision 
leaders to be successful. In response to this concern, numerous training programs for 
human research managers in businesses have been developed and promoted as 
valuable methods of improving employees‘ innovative competencies. Many of these 
programs have been adopted as part of human resource training policies by 
organizations worldwide, even though there is little evidence about their effectiveness 
and how they improve employee creative performance. More research and empirical 
evidence are required (Çekmecelioğlu & Günsel, 2013). 
Validation Newer approaches such as (Anderson et al., 2014) defined the 
creative process as components rather than stage mechanisms until the creative idea is 
generated and validated (Kozbelt et al., 2010). Such an approach goes beyond Wallace 
(2012) Model to consider the greater complexity of the creative process and the 
factors that affect it (such as expertise, facts, motivation, and social influences). It 
contributes to shaping performance. 
 
2.9.1 The Componential Theory of Creative Performance  
Amabile and Pratt (2016)  Component Theory of performance and Creativity is 
a theory of creativity hinges on the Component Model of Social Psychology of 
  
60 
Performance. It is one of the most common models of workplace creativity and 
performance. It is one of the first systematic and validated theories of employee 
creativity and its impact on performance. In line with the theory, three central 
components influence the formation of creative performance. The first group includes 
education and competencies, while the second group contains training, experience, 
and personality. The third group contains the social environment (Amabile & Pratt, 
2016). A graphical representation of the model is shown in Figure 2.1. 
 
 
Source: (Martíne, 2015) 
Figure 2.1: The Componential Model of Creativity 
 
The area of applicable skills refers to experience and expertise in a particular 
field. They are influenced by formal and informal education and individuals' 
perception, cognitive, and motor skills. Creativity-related processes are the explicit or 
implicit recognition of appropriate methods for developing creative performance. For 
creative ideas, there are also appropriate cognitive styles and job styles (Sobratee & 
Bodhanya, 2018). In agreement with Amabile and Pratt (2016), the degree of creative 
skills training and techniques for developing new ideas are likely to influence creative 
  
61 
performance processes positively. Also required are knowledge of creative practices 
and the presence of certain personality traits. Work motivation involves the attitudes 
of individuals to the job and their perceptions of their motivation. In general, an 
individual's motivation can be either inherent or extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is any 
motivation that arises from an individual's positive response to the quality of work. 
This reaction can be perceived as curiosity, interest, satisfaction, or a positive 
challenge (Amabile & Pratt, 2016). 
Under the model, it should be assumed that employee performance is influenced 
by capabilities, education, training, experience, environment, and positive 
relationships (Amabile & Pratt, 2016). In this sense, the current research compares 
employee performance and its impact on capacity-based training and its contents and 
creative thinking and content application. By comparing the theory model with the 
current study, experiences can be considered a mediating variable that may affect 
capacity-based training and the application of creative thinking when examining its 
impact on employee performance. Experiences are the knowledge or skill that an 
individual acquires through performing a task, seeing a sure thing, or feeling it. It is 
also defined as something that happens to an individual and affects their feelings 
(Schiavio, Moran, van der Schyff, Biasutti, & Parncutt, 2022). 
 
2.9.2 Goal-setting Theory 
Locke, who observed that challenging goals are more motivating than easy 
goals, created this hypothesis (Lunenburg, 2011). According to the hypothesis, 
workers perform complicated tasks without receiving the necessary training. 
Additionally, he made the point that the training environment needs to be clear that is, 
it needs to be included in the training program. Additionally, there needs to be a 
  
62 
defined strategic framework for communications across administrative levels. The 
theory focused on skill training that was specifically designed to stimulate 
performance and ultimately lead to improved performance (Locke, Shaw, Saari, & 
Latham, 1981). 
One of the elements of this theory was feedback, meaning that information can 
be obtained through the results represented by the goal. The goal is to achieve better 
performance, so poor performance is an indicator of building specialized training that 
works to close the gap between organizations and companies (Swann et al., 2023). 
The theory proceeded in three steps: paying attention to the basic principles of 
training, strategy, and communication. The second step was motivating performance, 
and the third step was ending with better performance (Locke et al., 1981). 
 
2.9.3 Sternberg's Theory 
Three different kinds of intelligence are described by Robert Sternberg's 
diarchic theory of intelligence (Sternberg et al., 2022). Practical intelligence, creative 
intelligence, and analytical intelligence are these three categories. Successful 
intelligence, according to Sternberg, is an employee's capacity to successfully carry 
out tasks following organizational standards. The worker requires an imaginative 
setting that fosters intelligence (Sternberg et al., 2022). When assessing an employee's 
capacity for creativity, the leader's vision is equally critical. To boost an employee's 
performance, the leader must also inspire and motivate them to begin working in 
novel ways. 
 
 
 
  
63 
2.9.4 Research Model Justifications 
In agreement with the theory, the competency-based approach, creative thinking 
training, discover the traits of creative employee performance. Examples include 
society, capital, incentives, legislation, structure, and technology. In accord with the 
model, innovative individuals, groups, and organizations are considered inputs to 
improving creative performance (Amabile, 2011). This is altered by the creative 
process and style, including creative reinforcements and limitations. The difference in 
input affects performance which can lead to a creative outcome. The presence of 
integrated inputs affects the improvement of creativity, which are inputs related to 
training, environment, experiences, and education, as well as the aspirations of the 
organization (Amabile & Pratt, 2016). The current study is concerned with searching 
for inputs that are effectively affected by employee performance to improve it. The 
pillars of the inputs are included as groups of education, training, support from the 
organization, the search for creative skills, and their application. The study shows a 
consensus in the structure of the theory and suggests some inputs stand on recent  
previous studies (Bhargavi & Yaseen, 2016).   
Source: (Martíne, 2015) 
 
Figure 2.2: Interactions Approach to Creativity 
 
 
 
 
INDIVDUAL 
- Cognitive 
abilities 
GROUP 
-Composition 
-
characteristic 
-processes 
 
ORGANIZATION 
-Culture 
-strategy 
-Resources 
Performance  
Antecedent Environment 
  
64 
Like the component model, the interactive approach considers cognitive abilities 
to influence individuals' creativity and performance. This, in turn, impacts the 
creativity of the group. Moreover, the group's structure, characteristics, and operations 
impact more than just the employee's creativity in his/her tasks but the employee's 
performance. However, there is also a general level of creative output. The model 
does not measure the potential impact of a creative performance setting. However, the 
authors relied (Amabile, 2011) upon argument regarding the value of performance in 
skills related to creativity. 
As part of these creative skills, awareness, learning, and experience positively 
impact performance outcomes. Although the authors also accepted Arshamian, 
Willander, and Larsson (2011) assertion that prior experience or knowledge could 
contribute to the "persistence" feature that discourages individuals in certain 
situations. As with the segment model, the interactive approach does not consider the 
remarkable impact of the type of task (such as natural or imagined life) on the 
employee performance outcome by providing a capacity-based training response 
(GIZ, 2015). This study's training strategy and environment is a hypothetical hub to 
influence employee performance. These components contain policies, decisions, and 
an ideal environment for capacity building to create an appropriate learning and 
training environment. It intersects with the theory of the environment and the 
requirements of interaction processes. This is essential for creative thinking and its 
application, which includes the leader‘s vision and the culture of creativity in the 
organization. Virtual components intersect in theory with the organization's interest in 
education and the stability of training and capabilities. It may be a natural addition 
when studying the study results in allocating this theory and its development in 
  
65 
keeping with the variables presented (Amabile, 2011; Amabile & Pratt, 2016; GIZ, 
2015). 
This theory was developed through a proposal that examines the relationship 
between capacity-based training and the application of creative thinking. These 
elements represent the leaders‘ visions of training importance and its support and the 
implementation of the training strategy. This strategy must be developed to keep pace 
with scientific developments, the competitive environment, and the institution's 
creative culture. This will educate and inspire the employee to consider the value of 
creativity performance at both personal and organizational levels (GIZ, 2015). In 
addition to the work environment that aims to improve employee performance, the 
current study is concerned with employee performance through direct creative inputs, 
contrary to the theory, which did not explicitly mention the creative inputs. However, 
it assumed its existence as a product of interactive processes. 
The goal-setting theory made clear how crucial it is to design training that is 
specific to each employee's skills (Locke et al., 1981). To inspire employee 
performance and attain higher performance, the training environment and strategy 
should be improved following the training curriculum (Lunenburg, 2011; Swann et al., 
2023). The study's results on competency-based training to boost employee 
performance are in line with the theory. The training environment and its strategy—
two key components of capability-based training—intersect with the study model 
concerning the theory supporting these components' ability to raise employee 
performance. 
Sternberg's Theory clarified the value of intellect and creative thinking for 
workers and connected them to their skill sets (Sternberg et al., 2022). The 
organization's innovation goals must be aligned with the improvement of the creative 
  
66 
thinking and leadership culture to drive employee performance and attain greater 
performance (Shanker, Bhanugopan, Heijden, & Farrell, 2017; Sternberg et al., 2022) 
. The theory is supported by the findings of the study on using creative thinking and 
its components to improve worker performance. In terms of the theory underlying 
their capacity to improve worker performance, two key elements of implementing 
creative thinking in organizations—promoting a culture of creativity and enhancing 
the leader's vision—intersect with the research model. 
The literature evaluation of work quality reveals that it is a realistic aspect of 
employee performance. quality of work needs businesses to increase competencies, 
time management, and clarity in plans and goals. As a result, the Palestinian Civil 
Police must improve the aspects of work quality based on skills, increase training, and 
update processes and objectives according to the strategic analysis of the nature of this 
organization. In addition, the literature analysis suggested that employee innovation 
required good training programs from the organization, clarity of training 
methodologies, and leadership engagement in innovation. The leadership of the 
Palestinian Civil Police chooses to look for programs to increase employee invention 
by depending on training programs, activating a strategy to improve innovation, and 
activating regulations to improve employee innovation. 
 
2.10 Conceptual Framework of the Study 
Component Theory, Goal-setting Theory, and Sternberg's Theory are some of 
the most common models of performance in the workplace. Component theory is one 
of the first systematic and validated theories of employee performance (Amabile & 
Pratt, 2016). Similarly, Amabile and Pratt (2016), stated the degree of creative skills 
and training are likely to influence creative performance positively. Techniques for 
  
67 
developing new ideas are also included. Also required are knowledge of creative 
practices and the presence of certain personality traits. Meanwhile, work motivation 
refers to employee attitudes toward their jobs. A literature review described the impact 
of competency-based training (CBT) and creative thinking application on employee 
performance.  
 
2.10.1 Competency-based Training (CBT)   
In conformity with the literature review, fostering training competency 
necessitates a training setting with unique requirements (Pathiranage, 2019). The 
availability of a training environment that incorporates exciting and encouraging 
aspects for competency-based training is part of the preparation for performance. The 
existence of a training strategy with explicit content and policies aims to achieve 
measurable outcomes (Zacharias et al., 2021). The training environment and training 
strategy aims to improve employee knowledge and abilities. To improve the quality of 
work and employee innovation, organizations should increase their capacities and 
enhance employees‘ potential to innovate and solve work challenges (Shen et al., 
2013). The employee must understand their work requirements to improve their 
performance by relying on Competency-based training. Professional and technical 
knowledge and a general foundation are included with the essential policies and 
instruments (Rodriguez & Walters, 2017). The foundation for developing abilities to 
improve employee performance is knowledge of work quality. It focuses on 
correctness, mastery, ingenuity, technical expertise, and innovation in planning, 
performing duties, and solving problems (Martíne, 2015). Workload and coping with 
job stress are both markers of improved employee performance. Apart from that, 
offering functional abilities guarantees that the process of enhancing employee 
  
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performance should be on track to meet the organization's objectives (Motlokoa et al., 
2018).   
 Competency-based training aims to develop creativity to create initiative and 
build confidence to influence employee performance. Improving performance leads to 
raising the competencies of taking responsibility at work completing work on time and 
raising the competencies of supervision and follow-up for the employee (Shen et al., 
2013). Pending the theory of the creativity component, training, experience, and 
personality factors are crucial to developing good performance, which is analogous to 
the creative components. An organization must provide a pattern of training 
competencies that assist the employee in enhancing their performance and reflection 
on the quality of work and essential competencies of the employee, (Karakaya & 
Demirkan, 2015).    
 
2.10.2 Creative Thinking Application    
Numerous research, including those involving music and information 
technology, have demonstrated a connection between creative thinking application 
and employee performance (Redifer et al., 2019). Some data suggests that cognitive 
inventory may affect creative performances as well as creative components such as 
professional viewpoint, creative motivation, and creative thinking (Schmidt et al., 
2016).  
A clear and authentic leader's vision must apply training outputs, creative 
thinking, knowledge and skills, and a change in employee innovation (Redifer et al., 
2019). A leader's vision contains beliefs and policies to help it achieve its objectives. 
It is also essential to instill in the organization a culture of training and innovative 
thinking and emphasize the value of both. Organizations must also cultivate a culture 
  
69 
of training and creative thinking and emphasize the value of this training and its 
impact on personal development and achieving the organization's objectives. This is 
important for the organization to be a leader in improving its offerings by focusing on 
employee performance. There is little doubt that equipping employee with creative 
abilities will increase their capacity to manage time and make the best use of available 
resources (Schmidt et al., 2016).  
As induced by other studies, encouraging the employee to innovate is not a 
spontaneous process. Preparation and training hinge on creative ideas and training in 
thinking outside the box is required. It allows the employee to select from various 
options to solve work-related issues. It is associated with employee motivation and 
encourages them to search and explore Eliyana and Ma‘arif (2019); Setiawan and 
Yuniarsih (2018) indicated that innovative employees could deal with work problems. 
By being innovative, employees can reduce mistakes made, which will make 
employees express their competencies with confidence. The employee can hone their 
innovation skills and confidently solve job difficulties using creative thinking. 
Employee performance may be improved by paying attention to innovation and 
providing them with inventive functional abilities. This allows them to improve 
service quality. 
 
2.10.3 Experiences 
Anggoro et al. (2022) are one of the most influential philosophers of education. 
His philosophy has become the basis of modern educational theories applied 
worldwide. He defined experience as the interaction of the organism and the 
environment. He describes it as dynamic, unified, communicative, historical, and 
  
70 
socially oriented. The experience is constantly changing because there will always be 
new interactions between the organism and the environment.  
Research on work experience has shown that employee with higher work 
experience has a particular approach while participating in learning (Dunstan & 
MacEachen, 2013). Studies also showed that work experience helps focus on relevant 
information, leading to higher learning behavior (Ding, 2014). In contrast, an 
employee with more work experience gained increased job knowledge and skills over 
time and invested less in learning than others. As a result, the experience may impact 
competency-based training, creative thinking application, and employee performance 
(Quality of work and employee innovation).  
 
2.11 Hypotheses   
H1: There is a significant impact of competency-based training on employee 
performance at the PCP.          
H2: There is a significant impact of creative thinking application on employee 
performance at the PCP.    
H3: There is a significant impact of competency-based training on experience at the 
PCP.   
H4: There is a significant impact of creative thinking application on experience at the 
PCP.   
H5: There is a significant impact of experience on employee performance at the PCP. 
H6: There is a significant mediator impact of experience between competency-based 
training and employee performance at the PCP.  
 H7: There is a significant mediator impact of experience between creative thinking 
application and employee performance at the PCP.   
  
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The following diagram depicts the study's hypotheses:  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 2.3: The Study Hypotheses 
 
2.12 Chapter Summary  
The theoretical context was covered in the second chapter of this study, such as 
a literary analysis of the concept of employee performance as a concept in PCP 
concept and a detailed image of the training program. A literary review of employee 
performance and its components (Quality of work and employee innovation). Their 
connection to employee performance in both civil and military institutions was also 
highlighted in this chapter. Furthermore, competency-based training and its 
components (training environment and strategy) were discussed, and its connection to 
the employee's performance and its components. The application of creative thinking 
and its components (leader's vision and culture of creative thinking) and its connection 
to employee performance. This chapter also analyzed and studied the relationship of 
H1 
H3 
H4 
H2 
H6 
H7 
H5 
Competency-
based Training 
Training Environment 
Training Strategy 
Creative Thinking 
Application 
leader's vision 
Culture of Creative 
Thinking 
 
Employee 
Performance 
Experience 
  
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variables with the mediating variable, which is experience, based on the context, 
literary analysis, and results. This chapter also reviewed the theories on which it relied 
to clarify the relationship and the quality of the study and its analysis of the 
intersection, literary criticism, and disparity. The conceptual framework is developed 
by clarifying and commenting on the theory and previous studies.