Business Commons^™

Cultural Tightness In Organizations: Investigating The Impact Of Formal And Informal Cultural Tightness On Employee Creativity, Roy Y. J. Chua, Na Zhao, Meng Han

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This paper delineates cultural tightness into formal versus informal aspects to depict the strength of norms and the extent of sanctions emanating from both formal and informal norms. Organizations with high formal cultural tightness regulate behaviors through explicit written norms and official sanctions, whereas those with high informal cultural tightness regulate behaviors through uncodified norms, collective beliefs, and informal social sanctions. Through a field study across 14 diverse companies in two countries (Malaysia and the Philippines) and two experiments involving participants from the United States, we found that perceived informal cultural tightness consistently exerts a more significant impact on stifling …

Personality Dynamics Turn Positive And Negative Mood Into Creativity, Ronald Bledow, Jana Kuhnel, Julius Kuhl

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Introduction: Research on the link between affect and creativity rests on the assumption that creativity unfolds as a stimulus-driven response to affective states. We challenge this assumption and examine whether personality dynamics moderate the relationship of positive and negative mood with creativity.Theoretical Model: According to our model, personality dynamics that generate and maintain positive affect and down-regulate negative affect energize creativity. Based on this model, we expect high creativity in response to negative mood if people engage in self-motivation and achieve a reduction in negative mood. We further derive that individual differences in action versus state orientation moderate the within-person …

The Importance Of Humor As A Leadership Skill, Bruce Haller

Faculty Presentations: Business

Humor is an important skill for leaders. This paper examines the underappreciation and underutilization of humor as a tool that studies conclude can improve relationships, decrease stress, and enhance productivity in the workplace. While inappropriate humor such as aggressive humor can have a negative effect, effective use of humor by leaders, supervisors, and subordinates can have multiple positive changes on organizational culture. Understanding what humor is and how it can be implemented as an impactful organizational and leadership tool is the purpose of this scholarship. Leadership is as important for the success of an organization as it is misunderstood and …

Managing The Creative Frontier Of Generative Ai: The Novelty-Usefulness Tradeoff, Anirban. Mukherjee, Hannah H. Chang

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In this paper, drawing inspiration from the human creativity literature, we explore the optimal balance between novelty and usefulness in generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems. We posit that overemphasizing either aspect can lead to limitations such as hallucinations and memorization. Hallucinations, characterized by AI responses containing random inaccuracies or falsehoods, emerge when models prioritize novelty over usefulness. Memorization, where AI models reproduce content from their training data, results from an excessive focus on usefulness, potentially limiting creativity. To address these challenges, we propose a framework that includes domain-specific analysis, data and transfer learning, user preferences and customization, custom evaluation metrics, …

Can Salespeople Use Social Media To Enhance Brand Awareness And Sales Performance? The Role Of Manager Empowerment And Creativity, Ashish Kalra, Omar S. Itani, Amin Rostami

Marketing Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose

Although research analyzing the consequences of salesperson social media use in driving sales behaviors and performance outcomes has proliferated in the recent past, there are significant research gaps in the domain. Grounded in task-technology fit theory, this paper aims to propose a conceptual framework that integrates between previously disjointed areas of research and analyzes the relationships between salesperson social media use, brand awareness, creativity, manager empowerment and company performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey responses were collected from a multi-industry sample of 158 business-to-business salespeople. Structural relationships were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling.

Findings

The analysis shows that salesperson …

“Turning Role Conflict Into Performance”: Assessing The Moderating Role Of Self-Monitoring, Manager Trust And Manager Identification, Ashish Kalra, Omar S. Itani, Sijie Sun

Marketing Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose

This study examines the contextual variables that can curb the negative effects of role conflict on job satisfaction and enhance the positive effect of job satisfaction on creativity and service performance. More specifically, adopting the job demands-resources theory, the authors explore the interactive effect of frontline employee (FLE) self-monitoring and FLE-manager trust on the relationship between role conflict and job satisfaction. Extending this line of inquiry, the authors adopt social identity theory and analyze the moderating effect of FLE-manager identification on the relationship between job satisfaction and creativity and between job satisfaction and service performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Dyadic data utilizing …

Effect Of Role Conflict And Role Ambiguity On Employee Creativity, Mushtaq Ahmad, Salah Ud Din Ms Lis

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of role conflict and role ambiguity on employee’s creativity. Exactly how role stress and various performances of individuals are related has received considerable attention, in which stress has been found to affect individual creativity. However, exactly how role stress (role conflict and role ambiguity) and employee creativity are related has seldom been examined empirically. A sample size of 100 was selected and standard questionnaires were distributes among the employees of three public sector universities in Peshawar KPK Pakistan. The conclusions drawn from the study were that role conflict and …

Breaking The Chains: The Inverted-U-Shaped Relationship Between Action-State Orientation And Creativity Under Low Job Autonomy, Ronald Bledow, Jana Kühnel, Mengzi Jin, Julius Kuhl

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

When the social fabric of organizations limits individual autonomy, new ideas are needed that satisfy a person’s will as well as the constraints imposed by the social context. To explain when people achieve this synthesis and display creativity under low job autonomy, we examine the influence of their action-state orientation. The theory of action versus state orientation contrasts two responses people display when faced by a situation that conflicts with their will. An actionoriented response entails that people readily disengage from processing the situation and initiate goal-striving, while a state-oriented response entails that people remain focused on the situation. We …

Feeling The Heat? Fear Of Failure And Performance, Alberto Chong, Marco Chong

CSLF Working Papers

Using a new, objective measure, we study the role of fear of failure in performance and find that it is positively linked with the latter, a finding that tends to contradict the conventional wisdom in both psychology and behavioral economics. We use individual data from the nationally syndicated television show MasterChef for the years 2010 to 2020 and exploit situations in which contestants are on the verge of being dropped from competition. Using ordinary least squares, we show that extreme fear of failure is associated with an increase of two to four positions in the final placement of the competition.

There Is A Time To Be Creative: The Alignment Between Chronotype And Time Of Day, Jana Kuehnel, Ronald Bledow, Markus Kiefer

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We examine the influence of chronobiological processes on creativity, specifically the influence of a person’s chronotype. Chronotype refers to the setting of a person’s biological clock that gives rise to a distinctive pattern of sleep habits and preferred diurnal activity. We propose a synchrony effect and predict that people are creative when the external clock is aligned with their internal, biological clock. According to our model, positive mood and creative self-efficacy act as affective and cognitive mechanisms of this synchrony effect. We present three studies that test our theorizing: A quasi-experimental field study with 260 employees, a day-reconstruction study with …

Unlocking The Creativity Potential Of Dialectical Thinking: Field Investigations Of The Comparative Effects Of Transformational And Transactional Leadership Styles, Roy Y. J. Chua, Jia Hui Lim, Wannwiruch (Fon) Wiruchnipawan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In a digital economy characterized by high volumes of information and ideas, many of which could be contradictory to one another, employees high in dialectical thinking should be well poised to connect disparate ideas to generate creative solutions for business problems. Yet, it is unclear whether dialectical thinking as a creativity-relevant skill can be realized in naturalistic workplace settings, given past mixed findings and the lack of field studies. We propose that supervisors’ leadership styles are important moderators that can unlock employees’ creativity potential in dialectical thinking. Additionally, we compare the activating effect of transformational leadership and the inhibiting effect …

Future Proof And Real-World Ready: The Role Of Live Project-Based Learning In Students’ Skill Development, Andrew J. Rohm, Matthew Stefl, Noriko Ward

Marketing & Business Law Faculty Works

The rapid pace of technological change taking place today makes it even more important for marketing educators to incorporate relevant technical and higher level meta-skills in their digital marketing courses. We review the pedagogical literature on skill development and project-based learning and detail two live course projects designed to help students develop technical skills related to digital marketing in addition to important meta-skills involving creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. We evaluate the impact of the projects through a direct and indirect assessment process. Findings suggest that live project–based learning can support the development of the technical and meta-skills necessary …

How Perceptions Of Work-Life Balance And Technology Use Impact Upon Creativity In Collaborative Spaces, Carlotta Cochis, Elisa Mattarelli, Fabiola Bertolotti, Anna Chiara Scapolan, Fabrizio Montanari, Paula Ungureanu

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This paper unpacks creative processes in collaborative spaces (CS). We focus on how the positive resources related to wellbeing and work-life balance derived from working in CS interplay with the use of collaborative technology in affecting individual creativity. We conducted a survey study with individuals working in 27 different CS in Italy. We propose and find a positive relationship between the perceived level of work-life balance satisfaction and individual creativity. Instead we do not find a significant relationship between the frequency of technology mediated interactions with external actors and individual creativity. Furthermore, the relationship between work-life balance and creativity is …

Trust And The ‘Hive Effect’ In Family Firms, Rameshwari Ramachandra

Asian Management Insights

Boosting creativity and innovation in family firms.

Impact Of Error Management Culture On Organizational Performance, Management-Team Performance And Creativity In The Hospitality Industry, Priyanko Guchait, Yu Qin, Juan Madera, Nan Hua, Xingyu Wang

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The purpose of this study is to examine how organizational error management culture impacts organizational performance, management-team performance, and creativity in the hospitality industry. In addition, this study examined the mediating effect of management-team learning behavior between error management culture and outcomes. Data were collected from general managers of 148 hotels in China using survey questionnaires. Results indicated that general managers' perceptions of organizational error management culture had a significant impact on all outcome variables. Additionally, the study found the mediating effect of management-team learning behavior.

Across The Great Divides: Gender Dynamics Influence How Intercultural Conflict Helps Or Hurts Creative Collaboration, Roy Y. J. Chua, Mengzi Jin

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Collaborating across cultures can potentially increase creativity due to access to diverse ideas and perspectives, but this benefit is not always realized. One reason is that the conflict that arises in intercultural creative collaboration is a double-edged sword and how it is managed matters. In this research, we examine how the gender of collaborating dyads influences the link between intercultural conflict (task and relationship) and creative collaboration effectiveness. Through two studies (a laboratory study and a field survey), we found that intercultural task conflict has a negative effect on creative collaboration in men dyads but a positive effect on creative …

The Role Of Play In Fostering Creativity And Purpose, Caitlin Quarrington

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

While play is a universal experience that transcends age, discipline, and location, it is often understood to be a juvenile experience and is not intentionally pursued into adulthood. However, play has positive benefits for people of all ages; it can drive intrinsic motivation, increase creativity, and build a sense of meaning and purpose in both individuals and teams. Building on existing understandings of play and creativity, this Synthesis develops a transdisciplinary Play-Flow Intervention Model that leverages play as an intervention at two critical points during the flow cycle to alleviate struggle and expedite movement towards flow. Integrating play during periods …

Contextual Creativity And The Experience Of Cultural Pivoting In The Workplace, Jeanine Soucie

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore the lived experience of foreign-born professional highly skilled employees living in the United States working for U.S.-centric organizations and the impact the interplay between their ethnic culture and the organization’s culture has had on their creativity in the workplace. Fourteen participants were interviewed and shared their experiences of creativity, providing rich stories. Using grounded theory analysis of their statements revealed five primary dimensions and five theoretical propositions. The study offers a heuristic model of the newly identified concept “cultural pivoting.” This term describes the importance and impact of having access …

Innovating Authentically: Cultural Differentiation In The Animation Sector, Susan Standing, Craig Standing

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This paper examines the concept of authentic innovation and the development of the animation industry in Malaysia. Authenticity is a concept that has been investigated from philosophical and institutional perspectives in the quest to explain the role of self-fulfillment and decision-making. It links with systems thinking because authenticity as a strategy requires a holistic approach since it is based upon values that influence action. The desire for authenticity can create expression outside the norms and produce innovation. We present interpretations of authenticity, explain the concept of authentic innovation and relate this to three case studies of Malaysian animation studios. We …

Asserting Librarian Expertise And Value In Strategic Marketing Efforts, Memo Cordova, Elizabeth Ramsey

Library Faculty Publications and Presentations

This case study of librarian-led marketing efforts at a mid-size academic library examines workarounds to obstacles that librarians frequently encounter when taking on marketing for their libraries. These obstacles often stem from a combination of misunderstanding and/or misplaced priorities at both the unit and administrative levels. Challenges in this case study include a number of factors: no marketing strategy at the administrative level, a lack of understanding from colleagues generally, little time to complete tasks or improve marketing skills, and no dedicated funding. To address these challenges the authors embarked on an internal marketing campaign engaged extensively on social media …

Mapping Cultural Tightness And Its Links To Innovation, Urbanization, And Happiness Across 31 Provinces In China, Roy Y. J. Chua, Kenneth Huang, Mengzi Jin

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We conduct a 3-y study involving 11,662 respondents to map cultural tightness—the degree to which a society is characterized by rules and norms and the extent to which people are punished or sanctioned when they deviate from these rules and norms—across 31 provinces in China. Consistent with prior research, we find that culturally tight provinces are associated with increased governmental control, constraints in daily life, religious practices, and exposure to threats. Departing from previous findings that tighter states are more rural, conservative, less creative, and less happy, cultural tightness in China is associated with urbanization, economic growth, better health, greater …

Understanding Well-Being At Work: Development And Validation Of The Eudaimonic Workplace Well-Being Scale, Amy L. Bartels, Suzanne J. Peterson, Christopher S. Reina

Management and Entrepreneurship Publications

Given the amount of time and effort individuals pour into work, scholars and practitioners alike have spent considerable time and resources trying to understand well-being in the workplace. Unfortunately, much of the current research and measurement focuses on workplace well-being from only one perspective (i.e. hedonic well-being rather than eudaimonic well-being) or by generalizing between workplace well-being and general well-being. In this study, we sought to integrate the workplace context into the current eudaimonic perspective to develop an 8-item measure of eudaimonic workplace well-being. Using multi-wave data, we developed and validated a reliable, two-dimensional eudaimonic workplace well-being scale (EWWS). The …

Elements Of Creativity: A Study Of The Dimensions That Make For An Effective Advertisement, Amanda Johnson

Senior Honors Theses

The advertising world is made up of many facets, such as creativity, networking, and thought leadership. At the center of these processes lies advertising creativity, a term used to describe an ad or element of an ad that is particularly novel and noteworthy. The contents of this thesis address the challenges academics and professionals have with establishing criteria to measure creativity, while considering the value of evaluating creative ability through a variety of processes. To do this, three case studies of award-winning advertisements were conducted in order to develop a profile of an effective ad. Results indicate that successfully creative …

Innovating At Cultural Crossroads: How Multicultural Social Networks Promote Ideas Flow And Creativity, Roy Y. J. Chua

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Diversity in social networks is often linked to enhanced creativity. Emerging research on exposure to diverse informational resources (e.g., ideas and knowledge) however has painted a more complex picture regarding its effect on individuals’ creative performance. This research examines the effects of culturally diverse networks on the flow of ideas and individuals’ creativity. Combining social network analysis with experimental methods, two studies using different samples found that a culturally diverse network increases the likelihood of receiving culture-related novel ideas (but not other types of novel ideas) from network contacts, whether or not these contacts share one’s own culture of origin. …

The Temporal Pattern Of Creativity And Implementation In Teams, Kathrin Rosing, Ronald Bledow, Michael Frese, Nataliya Baytalskaya, Johanna Johanna Johnson Lascano, James L. Farr

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Two broad sets of activities underlie team innovation: the creation and the implementation of new ideas. Despite the prevalence of this distinction, the temporal dynamics of creativity and implementation in teams and their relation to successful team innovation are not well understood. Building on and integrating linear phase models and complexity perspectives on the innovation process, we propose a temporal pattern of creativity and implementation that is linked to team innovation. We examine this temporal pattern in a longitudinal study of 76 project teams. Results show that teams engage in creativity throughout the entire life cycle of team projects; however, …

Experimenting With Innovation In Creative Spaces, Matteo Vignoli, Elisa Mattarelli, Saku Mäkinen

Faculty Publications, School of Management

This special issue is dedicated to the investigation of how people, teams, and organizations collaborate and experiment with innovative practices in different types of creative spaces and the challenges and opportunities they face in such contexts. The six papers of this special issue offer a comprehensive view of creative spaces by providing variegated perspectives, case studies, and evidence on exemplary experimentations within them.

Creative Journal, Jenny Kim

Featured Student Work

This journal was created for the course Creative Thinking, taught by Iryna Molodecky. The journal is divided into parts, which focus on different aspects of creating, experiencing, and learning. This journal summarizes experiences or situations in detail, as well as the impact of those experiences and identifies what future actions these experiences have inspired. The journal was largely assessed on the reflection, insights, added value, and overall connection to the course content.

Intercultural Relationships And Creativity:Current Research And Future Directions, Fon Wiruchnipawan, Roy Y. J. Chua

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In the global economy, individuals have to engage in cross-cultural interactions when tasked to develop creative new products or services. Research on the effects of cultural diversity on creativity, however, has been equivocal. One stream of research champions that cultural diversity in relationships broadens ideas and resources for creative thinking, whereas skeptics counter that intercultural tensions and conflicts hurt rather than help. This chapter discusses both sides of the argument. We examine the effects of intercultural relationships on creativity from three perspectives: (a) how a culturally diverse social environment (including social networks) influences individuals’ creativity; (b) how individuals can successfully …

Modeling Creative Processes For Business Performance, Meryl Rosenblatt Mba, Felicia Binkis, Megan Killeen

Faculty Works: Business (1973-2022)

The main aim of the paper is to explore the use of creative processes, primarily in service-providing businesses. Creative processes could be considered one of the ways to improve the company’s performance, as well as increase the motivation of employees. A company’s performance not only depends on routine work processes, but also on the ability to use the creative resources in the most efficient way. In this case, is it true that creativity is widely used in large companies? Is it more beneficial to be creative when the competitiveness is tough? What are the attitude towards creativity as a tool …

Not Just How Much You Know: Interactional Effect Of Cultural Knowledge And Metacognition On Creativity In A Global Context, Chua, Roy Y. J., Kok Yee Ng

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The ability to think and solve problems creatively in a multicultural environment is critical for success in the 21st century. Integrating research on creative cognition and cultural intelligence, we examine the interactional effects of two cognitive capabilities – cultural knowledge and cultural metacognition – on individuals’ creativity in multicultural teams. We propose that although cultural knowledge is useful for creativity,too much knowledge can be detrimental because of cognitive overload and entrenchment.This inverted U-shaped relationship however, is moderated by cultural metacognition.Results of our study support our hypothesis of an inverted U-shape relationship between cultural knowledge and creativity. As expected, we found …