This study aims to provide new insights into the reward–creativity link in the Chinese context by exploring
the moderating effect of guanxi human resource management (HRM) practice—reflecting the extent to which
HR decisions are influenced by personal relationships in an organization—on the relationship between pay for
performance (PFP) and employee creativity. Using two independent samples that were composed of 222 and
216 supervisor–subordinate dyads from Mainland China and Taiwan, we found that the effect of pay for
performance on creativity was invariantly moderated by perceived guanxi HRM practice in such a way that
when guanxi HRM practice was low, PFP had stronger positive effects on creativity. Furthermore, trust in
management, as reduced by guanxi HRM practice, mediated this moderating effect. Moreover, moderated
path analysis revealed that intrinsic motivation mediated these moderated relationships among PFP, guanxi
HRM practice, trust in management, and creativity. Findings shed light on the processes through which,
and the conditions under which, PFP may promote creativity.