TY - JOUR
T1 - The optimism-pessimism ratio as predictor of employee creativity
T2 - the promise of duality
AU - Rego, Arménio
AU - Cunha, Miguel Pina e
AU - Júnior, Dálcio Reis
AU - Anastácio, Cátia
AU - Savagnago, Moriel
PY - 2018/5/25
Y1 - 2018/5/25
N2 - Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study if the employees’ optimism-pessimism ratio predicts their creativity. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 134 employees reported their optimism and pessimism, and the respective supervisors described the employees’ creativity. Findings: The relationship between the optimism-pessimism ratio and creativity is curvilinear (inverted U-shaped); beyond a certain level of the optimism-pessimism ratio, the positive relationship between the ratio and creativity weakens, suggesting that the possible positive effects of (high) optimism may be weakened by a very low level of pessimism. Research limitations/implications: Being cross-sectional, the study examines neither the causal links between the optimism-pessimism ratio and creativity nor other plausible causal links. The study was carried out at a single moment and did not capture the dynamics that occur over the course of time involving changes in optimism/pessimism and creativity. Future studies may adopt longitudinal or quasi-experimental designs. Practical implications: Managers and organizations must consider that, even though positivity promotes creativity, some level of negativity may help positivity to produce creativity. Originality/value: This study suggests that scholars who want to study the antecedents of creativity (and innovation) must be cautious in focusing only on the positive or the negative sides of individuals’ characteristics, and rather they must explore the interplay between both poles. Individuals may experience both positive and negative states/traits (Smith et al., 2016), and this both/and approach may impel them to think divergently, to challenge the status quo and to propose “out the box” and useful ideas.
AB - Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study if the employees’ optimism-pessimism ratio predicts their creativity. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 134 employees reported their optimism and pessimism, and the respective supervisors described the employees’ creativity. Findings: The relationship between the optimism-pessimism ratio and creativity is curvilinear (inverted U-shaped); beyond a certain level of the optimism-pessimism ratio, the positive relationship between the ratio and creativity weakens, suggesting that the possible positive effects of (high) optimism may be weakened by a very low level of pessimism. Research limitations/implications: Being cross-sectional, the study examines neither the causal links between the optimism-pessimism ratio and creativity nor other plausible causal links. The study was carried out at a single moment and did not capture the dynamics that occur over the course of time involving changes in optimism/pessimism and creativity. Future studies may adopt longitudinal or quasi-experimental designs. Practical implications: Managers and organizations must consider that, even though positivity promotes creativity, some level of negativity may help positivity to produce creativity. Originality/value: This study suggests that scholars who want to study the antecedents of creativity (and innovation) must be cautious in focusing only on the positive or the negative sides of individuals’ characteristics, and rather they must explore the interplay between both poles. Individuals may experience both positive and negative states/traits (Smith et al., 2016), and this both/and approach may impel them to think divergently, to challenge the status quo and to propose “out the box” and useful ideas.
KW - Creativity
KW - Curvilinear relationship
KW - Optimism
KW - Optimism-pessimism ratio
KW - Pessimism
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85040791234&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1108/EJIM-07-2017-0087
DO - 10.1108/EJIM-07-2017-0087
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85040791234
SN - 1460-1060
VL - 21
SP - 423
EP - 442
JO - European Journal of Innovation Management
JF - European Journal of Innovation Management
IS - 3
ER -