Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
888573 | Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes | 2013 | 17 Pages |
Previous research has produced contradictory findings about the impact of challenge stressors on individual and team creativity. Based on the challenge–hindrance stressors framework (LePine, Podsakoff, & LePine, 2005) and on regulatory focus theory (Higgins, 1997), we argue that the effect of challenge stressors on creativity is moderated by regulatory focus. We hypothesize that while promotion focus strengthens a positive relationship between challenge stressors and creativity, prevention focus reinforces a negative relationship. Experimental data showed that high demands led to better results in a creative insight task for individuals with a strong trait promotion focus, and that high demands combined with an induced promotion focus led to better results across both creative generation and insight tasks. These results were replicated in a field R&D sample. Furthermore, we found that team promotion focus moderated the effect of challenge stressors on team creativity. The results offer both theoretical insights and suggest practical implications.
► Regulatory focus moderates the challenge stressors–creativity relationship. ► Challenge stressors combined with promotion focus leads to higher creativity. ► Challenge stressors combined with preventions focus leads to lower creativity. ► Challenge stressors combined with promotion focus leads to higher team creativity.