Skip to main content
Log in

Who Responds Creatively to Role Conflict? Evidence for a Curvilinear Relationship Mediated by Cognitive Adjustment at Work and Moderated by Mindfulness

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Business and Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study aims to clarify to what extent, how and under what conditions role conflict is positively related to employee creativity. Drawing on activation theory and conservation of resources theory, we hypothesized an inverted U-shaped relationship between role conflict and creativity in which the relationship is stronger and positive at intermediate levels of role conflict. Additionally, we predicted that this curvilinear path would be mediated by cognitive adjustment at work and moderated by mindfulness. To test our hypotheses, we conducted two independent studies—a cross-sectional study with 123 employees from an Italian firm and a time-lagged research with 320 employees from various UK firms. Consistent with our predictions, polynomial regression analysis results provided evidence for an inverted U-shaped relationship between role conflict and creativity and for the mediating role of cognitive adjustment at work. Moreover, when mindfulness was high (versus low), intermediate levels of role conflict were associated with increased cognitive adjustment at work and creativity. Our findings enhance current understanding of the conditions under which different levels of role conflict boost or impair creativity at work and offer new insights into how employee can maintain an optimal level of creativity despite conflicting role demands. This is the first study to document a non-linear and indirect relationship between role conflict and employee creativity, as well as to identify mindfulness as a boundary condition shaping the creativity-enhancing effects of role conflict.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aiken, L. S., & West, S. G. (1991). Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions. Newbury Park: SAGE Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alfredsson, L., Karasek, R., & Theorell, T. (1982). Myocardial infarction risk and psychosocial work environment: An analysis of the male Swedish working force. Social Science & Medicine, 16(4), 463–467.

    Google Scholar 

  • Amabile, T. M. (1983). The social psychology of creativity: A componential conceptualization. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 45, 357–376.

    Google Scholar 

  • Amabile, T. M. (1996). Creativity in context. New York: Westview Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, N., Potočnik, K., & Zhou, J. (2014). Innovation and creativity in organizations: A state-of-the-science review, prospective commentary, and guiding framework. Journal of Management, 40(5), 1297–1333.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baas, M., Nevicka, B., & Ten Velden, F. S. (2014). Specific mindfulness skills differentially predict creative performance. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 40(9), 1092–1106.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Baer, R. A. (2003). Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 125–143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baer, M., & Oldham, G. R. (2006). The curvilinear relation between experienced creative time pressure and creativity: Moderating effects of openness to experience and support for creativity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(4), 963–970.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Baer, J., & Kaufman, J. C. (2008). Gender differences in creativity. Journal of Creative Behavior, 42(2), 75–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bamberger, P., Geller, D., & Doveh, E. (2017). Assisting upon entry: Helping type and approach as moderators of how role conflict affects newcomer resource drain. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(12), 1719–1732.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Baron, R.A. & Tang, J. (2011). The role of entrepreneurs in firm-level innovation: Joint effects of positive affect, creativity, and environmental dynamics. Journal of Business Venturing, 26(1), 49–60.

  • Baughman, W. A., & Mumford, M. D. (1995). Process analytic models of creative capacities: Operations involved in the combination and reorganization process. Creativity Research Journal, 9, 63–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bauer, T. N., Bodner, T., Erdogan, B., Truxillo, D. M., & Tucker, J. S. (2007). Newcomer adjustment during organizational socialization: A meta-analytic review of antecedents, outcomes, and methods. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(3), 707–721.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beehr, T. A., & Glazer, S. (2005). Organizational role stress. In J. Barling, E. K. Kelloway, & M. R. Frone (Eds.), Handbook of work stress (pp. 7–33). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bergin, A. J., & Pakenham, K. I. (2016). The stress-buffering role of mindfulness in the relationship between perceived stress and psychological adjustment. Mindfulness, 7(4), 928–939.

    Google Scholar 

  • Binnewies, C., & Wörnlein, S. C. (2011). What makes a creative day? A diary study on the interplay between affect, job stressors, and job control. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 32(4), 589–607.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowling, N. A., Alarcon, G. M., Bragg, C. B., & Hartman, M. J. (2015). A meta-analytic examination of the potential correlates and consequences of workload. Work & stress, 29(2), 95–113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bravo, A. J., Pearson, M. R., Wilson, A. D., & Witkiewitz, K. (2018). When Traits Match States: Examining the Associations Between Self-Report Trait and State Mindfulness Following a State Mindfulness Induction. Mindfulness, 9(1), 199–211.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bridges, W., & Bridges, W. (1994). Jobshift: How to prosper in a workplace without jobs. Reading: Addison-Wesley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(4), 822–848.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, K. W., Ryan, R. M., & Creswell, J. D. (2007). Mindfulness: Theoretical foundations and evidence for its salutary effects. Psychological Inquiry, 18(4), 211–237.

    Google Scholar 

  • Byron, K., Khazanchi, S., & Nazarian, D. (2010). The relationship between stressors and creativity: A meta-analysis examining competing theoretical models. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(1), 201–212.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Çekmecelioğlu, H. G., & Günsel, A. (2011). Promoting creativity among employees of mature industries: The effects of autonomy and role stress on creative behaviors and job performance. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 24, 889–895.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, G., Farh, J.-L., Campbell-Bush, E. M., Wu, Z., & Wu, X. (2013). Teams as innovative systems: Multilevel motivational antecedents of innovation in R&D teams. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98, 1018–1027.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cheung, J. H., Burns, D. K., Sinclair, R. R., & Sliter, M. (2017). Amazon mechanical turk in organizational psychology: An evaluation and practical recommendations. Journal of Business and Psychology, 32, 347–361.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chiesa, A., & Serretti, A. (2009). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for stress management in healthy people: A review and meta-analysis. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 15, 593−600.

  • Coetzer, G. H., & Richmond, L. (2009). An empirical examination of the relationships between adult attention deficit, personal task management systems and role stress. Journal of Behavioral & Applied Management, 10(2), 206–226.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J., Cohen, P., West, St., & Aiken, L. (2002). Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences (3rd ed.). Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

  • Cohen, S. (1980). After effects of stress on human performance and social behavior: A review of research and theory. Psychological Bulletin, 88(1), 82–108.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Colzato, L. S., Szapora, A., & Hommel, B. (2012). Meditate to create: The impact of focused-attention and open-monitoring training on convergent and divergent thinking. Frontiers in Psychology, 3, 116.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, C. L., & Dewe, P. J. (2004). Stress: A Brief history. Oxford: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, C. L., & Marshall, J. (1978). Understanding executive stress. London: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cortina, J. M., Aguinis, H., & DeShon, R. P. (2017). Twilight of dawn or of evening? A century of research methods in the journal of applied psychology. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102, 274–290.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • de Jong, J. P., & Den Hartog, D. N. (2007). How leaders influence employees’ innovative behaviour. European Journal of Innovation Management, 10(1), 41–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ding, X., Tang, Y. Y., Deng, Y., Tang, R., & Posner, M. I. (2015). Mood and personality predict improvement in creativity due to meditation training. Learning and Individual Differences, 37, 217–221.

    Google Scholar 

  • Donati, S., Zappalà, S., & González-Romá, V. (2016). The influence of friendship and communication network density on individual innovative behaviours: A multilevel study. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 25(4), 583–596.

    Google Scholar 

  • David, J. P., & Suls, J. (1999). Coping efforts in daily life: Role of big five traits and problem appraisals. Journal of Personality, 67(2), 265–294.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, J. F. (2014). Moderation in management research: What, why, when, and how. Journal of Business and Psychology, 29(1), 1–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dubinsky, A. J., & Skinner, S. J. (1984). Impact of job characteristics on retail salespeople's reactions to their jobs. Journal of Retailing, 60(2), 35–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eatough, E. M., Chang, C. H., Miloslavic, S. A., & Johnson, R. E. (2011). Relationships of role stressors with organizational citizenship behavior: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 96(3), 619–632.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eby, L. T., Allen, T. D., Conley, K. M., Williamson, R. L., Henderson, T. G., & Mancini, V. S. (2017). Mindfulness-based training interventions for employees: A qualitative review of the literature. Human Resource Management Review., 29, 156–178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2017.03.004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, A. M., Bauer, T. N., Mansfield, L. R., Erdogan, B., Truxillo, D. M., & Simon, L. S. (2015). Navigating uncharted waters: Newcomer socialization through the lens of stress theory. Journal of Management, 41(1), 203–235.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eschleman, K. J., Madsen, J., Alarcon, G., & Barelka, A. (2014). Benefiting from creative activity: The positive relationships between creative activity, recovery experiences, and performance-related outcomes. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 87(3), 579–598.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, C. D., & Gitelson, R. (1983). A meta-analysis of the correlates of role conflict and ambiguity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 68(2), 320–333.

    Google Scholar 

  • Folkman, S., Lazarus, R. S., Dunkel-Schetter, C., DeLongis, A., & Gruen, R. J. (1986). Dynamics of a stressful encounter: Cognitive appraisal, coping, and encounter outcomes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50(5), 992–1003.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56, 218–226.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gagné, M., Forest, J., Vansteenkiste, M., Crevier-Braud, L., Broeck, A. V. D., Aspeli, A. K., et al. (2015). The multidimensional work motivation scale: Validation evidence in seven languages and nine countries. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 24, 178–196.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garland, E. L., Farb, N. A., Goldin, P. R., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2015). The mindfulness-to-meaning theory: Extensions, applications, and challenges at the attention–appraisal–emotion interface. Psychological Inquiry, 26(4), 377–387.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, D. G. (1990). Task complexity effects on non-task-related movements: A test of activation theory. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 45(2), 209–231.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, H. (1986). Freud in three frames: A cognitive-scientific approach to creativity. Daedalus, 115(3), 105–134.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, D. G., & Cummings, L. L. (1988). Activation theory and job. Research in Organizational Behavior, 10, 81–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, H. K., Gino, F., & Staats, B. R. (2012). Dynamically integrating knowledge in teams: Transforming resources into performance. Academy of Management Journal, 55(4), 998–1022.

    Google Scholar 

  • George, J. M. (2008). Creativity in organizations. The Academy of Management Annals, 1(1), 439–477.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilboa, S., Shirom, A., Fried, Y., & Cooper, C. (2008). A meta-analysis of work demand stressors and job performance: Examining main and moderating effects. Personnel Psychology, 61(2), 227–271.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glomb, T. M., Duffy, M. K., Bono, J. E., Yang, T. (2011). Mindfulness at work. In J. Martocchio, H. Liao, & A. Joshi (Eds.), Research in personnel and human resource management (pp. 115–157). Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

  • Good, D. J., Lyddy, C. J., Glomb, T. M., Bono, J. E., Brown, K. W., Duffy, M. K., Baer, R. A., Brewer, J. A., & Lazar, S. W. (2016). Contemplating mindfulness at work: An integrative review. Journal of Management, 42(1), 114–142.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goolsby, J. R. (1992). A theory of role stress in boundary spanning positions of marketing organizations. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 20(2), 155–164.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gong, Y., Zhou, J., & Chang, S. (2013). Core knowledge employee creativity and firm performance: The moderating role of riskiness orientation, firm size, and realized absorptive capacity. Personnel Psychology, 66(2), 443–482.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grandey, A. A., & Cropanzano, R. (1999). The conservation of resources model applied to work-family conflict and strain. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 54(2), 350–370.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant, A. M., Langer, E. J., Falk, E., & Capodilupo, C. (2004). Mindful creativity: Drawing to draw distinctions. Creativity Research Journal, 16(2–3), 261–265.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grover, S. L., Teo, S. T. T., Pick, D., & Roche, M. (2017). Mindfulness as a personal resource to reduce work stress in the job demands-resources model. Stress and Health, 33(4), 426–436.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gruman, J. A., Saks, A. M., & Zweig, D. I. (2006). Organizational socialization tactics and newcomer proactive behaviors: An integrative study. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 69(1), 90–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guilford, J. P. (1967). Creativity: Yesterday, today and tomorrow. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 1(1), 3–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hafenbrack, A. C. (2017). Mindfulness meditation as an on-the-spot workplace intervention. Journal of Business Research, 75, 118–129.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hafenbrack, A. C., & Vohs, K. D. (2018). Mindfulness meditation impairs task motivation but not performance. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 147, 1–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Han, G. H., Harms, P. D., & Bai, Y. (2017). Nightmare bosses: The impact of abusive supervision on employees’ sleep, emotions, and creativity. Journal of Business Ethics, 145, 21–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartline, M. D., & Ferrell, O. C. (1996). The management of customer-contact service employees: An empirical investigation. The Journal of Marketing, 60(4), 52–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haun, V. C., Nübold, A., & Bauer, A. G. (2018). Being mindful at work and at home: Buffering effects in the stressor–detachment model. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 91(2), 385–410.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, A. F., & Preacher, K. J. (2010). Quantifying and testing indirect effects in simple mediation models when the constituent paths are nonlinear. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 45, 627–660.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hobfoll, S. E. (1989). Conservation of resources: A new attempt at conceptualizing stress. American Psychologist, 44(3), 513–524.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hobfoll, S. E. (2001). The influence of culture, community, and the nested-self in the stress process: Advancing conservation of resources theory. Applied Psychology, 50(3), 337–421.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hobfoll, S. E. (2002). Social and psychological resources and adaptation. Review of General Psychology, 6(4), 307–324.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hochwarter, W., Ferris, G. R., & Hanes, T. (2011). Multi-study packages in organizational science research. In D. J. Ketchen Jr. & D. D. Bergh (Eds.), Building methodological bridges: Research methodology in strategy and management (pp. 163–199). Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, D. L. (2003). Revisiting sample size and number of parameter estimates: Some support for the N:Q hypothesis. Structural Equation Modeling, 10, 128–141.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janssen, O. (2000). Job demands, perceptions of effort-reward fairness and innovative work behaviour. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 73(3), 287–302.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaramillo, F., Mulki, J. P., & Solomon, P. (2006). The role of ethical climate on salesperson’s role stress, job attitudes, turnover intention, and job performance. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 26(3), 271–282.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, L. (1993). Barriers to creativity and their relationship to individual, group and organizational behavior. In S. G. Isaksen, M. C. Murdock, R. L. Firesttein, & D. J. Treffinger (Eds.), Nurturing and developing creativity: The development of a discipline (pp. 133–154). Norwood: Ablex Publishing Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kahn, R. L., Wolfe, D. M., Quinn, R. P., Snoek, J. D., & Rosenthal, R. A. (1964). Organizational stress: Studies in role conflict and ambiguity. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, J. B., Christopher, M. S., & Bowen, S. (2017). Dispositional mindfulness moderates the relationship between occupational stressors and perceived stress among Law enforcement personnel. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 1-6.

  • Katz, D., & Kahn, R. L. (1978). The social psychology of organizations. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirk, U., Dowanar, J., & Montague, P. R. (2011). Interoception drives increased rational decision-making in meditators playing the ultimatum game. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 5, 1–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kline, R. B. (2011). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lambert, S. J. (1991). The combined effects of job and family characteristics on the job satisfaction, job involvement, and intrinsic motivation of men and women workers. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 12, 341–363.

    Google Scholar 

  • Langer, E. J. (1989). Mindfulness. Reading: Addison Wesley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, R. A. (2012). Accelerating the development and mitigating derailment of high poten-tials through mindfulness training. The Industrial–Organizational Psychologist, 49(3), 23–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • LePine, J. A., LePine, M. A., & Jackson, C. L. (2004). Challenge and hindrance stress: Relationships with exhaustion, motivation to learn, and learning performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89, 883–891.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • LePine, J. A., Podsakoff, N. P., & LePine, M. A. (2005). A meta-analytic test of the challenge stressor—Hindrance stressor framework: An explanation for inconsistent relationships among stressors and performance. Academy of Management Journal, 48(5), 764–775.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leung, K., Huang, K., Su, C., & Lu, L. (2011). Curvilinear relationships between role stress and innovative performance: Moderating effects of perceived support for innovation. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 84, 741–758.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, A., & Bagger, J. (2008). Role ambiguity and self-efficacy: The moderating effects of goal orientation and procedural justice. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 73(3), 368–375.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin, B., Law, K. S., & Zhou, J. (2017). Why is underemployment related to creativity and ocb? A task-crafting explanation of the curvilinear moderated relations. Academy of Management Journal, 60(1), 156–177.

    Google Scholar 

  • Little, T. D. (2013). Longitudinal structural equation modeling. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Little, T. D., Cunningham, W. A., Shahar, G., & Widaman, K. F. (2002). To parcel or not to parcel: Exploring the question, weighing the merits. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 9(2), 151–173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, D., Gong, Y., Zhou, J., & Huang, J. C. (2017). Human resource systems, employee creativity, and firm innovation: The moderating role of firm ownership. Academy of Management Journal, 60(3), 1164–1188.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, D., Jiang, K., Shalley, C. E., Keem, S., & Zhou, J. (2016). Motivational mechanisms of employee creativity: A meta-analytic examination and theoretical extension of the creativity literature. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 137, 236–263.

    Google Scholar 

  • Long, E. C., & Christian, M. S. (2015). Mindfulness buffers retaliatory responses to injustice: A regulatory approach. Journal of Applied Psychology, 100(5), 1409–1422.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lutz, A., Slagter, H. A., Dunne, J. D., & Davidson, R. J. (2008). Attention regulation and monitoring in meditation. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 12(4), 163–169.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Malo, M., Tremblay, I., & Brunet, L. (2016). Cognitive adjustment as an indicator of psychological health at work: Development and validation of a measure. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 92, 33–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montani, F., Courcy, F., & Vandenberghe, C. (2017). Innovating under stress: The role of commitment and leader-member exchange. Journal of Business Research, 77, 1-13.

  • Montani, F., Vandenberghe, C., Khedhaouria, A., & Courcy, F. (2019). Understanding the curvilinear relationship between workload and innovative work behavior: The mediating role of work engagement and the moderating role of mindfulness. Human Relations., 001872671881905. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726718819055.

  • Mumford, M. D., Reiter-Palmon, R., & Redmond, M. R. (1994). Problem construction and cognition: Applying problem representations in ill-defined domains. In M. A. Runco (Ed.), Problem finding, problem solving, and creativity (pp. 3–39). Norwood: Ablex.

  • Mumford, M. D., Scott, G. M., Gaddis, B., & Strange, J. M. (2002). Leading creative people: Orchestrating expertise and relationships. Leadership Quarterly, 13, 705–720.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (1998-2015). Mplus User’s Guide. Los Angeles: Muthén & Muthén.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ng, T. W., & Feldman, D. C. (2013). A meta-analysis of the relationships of age and tenure with innovation-related behaviour. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 86(4), 585–616.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ohly, S., Sonnentag, S., & Pluntke, F. (2006). Routinization, work characteristics and their relationships with creative and proactive behaviors. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 27(3), 257–279.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peer, E., Brandimarte, L., Samat, S., & Acquisti, A. (2017). Beyond the Turk: Alternative platforms for crowdsourcing behavioral research. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 70, 153–163.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pitariu, A. H., & Ployhart, R. E. (2010). Explaining change: Theorizing and testing dynamic mediated longitudinal relationships. Journal of Management, 36, 405–429.

    Google Scholar 

  • Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2012). Sources of method bias in social science research and recommendations on how to control it. Annual Review of Psychology, 63, 539–569.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Prabhu, V., Sutton, C., & Sauser, W. (2008). Creativity and certain personality traits: Understanding the mediating effect of intrinsic motivation. Creativity Research Journal, 20(1), 53–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Remmers, C., Topolinski, S., Dietrich, D. E., & Michalak, J. (2015). Impaired intuition in patients with major depressive disorder. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 54(2), 200–213.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rizzo, J. R., House, R. J., & Lirtzman, S. I. (1970). Role conflict and ambiguity in complex organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 15(2), 150–163.

    Google Scholar 

  • Runco, M. A., & Charles, R. E. (1997). Developmental trends in creative potential and creative performance. In M. A. Runco (Ed.), The creativity research handbook (pp. 115–152). New Jersey: Hampton Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saks, A. M., Uggerslev, K. L., & Fassina, N. E. (2007). Socialization tactics and newcomer adjustment: A meta-analytic review and test of a model. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 70(3), 413–446.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sacramento, C. A., Fay, D., & West, M. A. (2013). Workplace duties or opportunities? Challenge stressors, regulatory focus, and creativity. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 121(2), 141–157.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaubroeck, J., Cotton, J. L., & Jennings, K. R. (1989). Antecedents and consequences of role stress: A covariance structure analysis. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 10(1), 35–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaubroeck, J., & Merritt, D. E. (1997). Divergent effects of job control on coping with work stressors: The key role of self-efficacy. Academy of Management Journal, 40(3), 738–754.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaufeli, W. B., Leiter, M. P., Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E. (1996). Maslach burnout inventory–general survey. In C. Maslach, S. E. Jackson, & M. P. Leiter (Eds.), The Maslach burnout inventory-test manual (3rd ed.). Palo Alto: Consulting Psychologists Press.

  • Schmitt, A., Ohly, S., & Kleespies, N. (2015). Time pressure promotes work engagement: Test of illegitimate tasks as boundary condition. Journal of Personnel Psychology, 14, 28–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sieber, S. D. (1974). Toward a theory of role accumulation. American Sociological Review, 39, 567–578.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shalley, C. E., Zhou, J., & Oldham, G. R. (2004). The effects of personal and contextual characteristics on creativity: Where should we go from here? Journal of Management, 30(6), 933–958.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shapiro, S. L., Brown, K. W., & Biegel, G. M. (2007). Teaching self-care to caregivers: Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on the mental health of therapists in training. Training and education in professional psychology, 1(2), 11–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shapiro, S. L., Carlson, L. E., Astin, J. A., & Freedman, B. (2006). Mechanisms of mindfulness. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62(3), 373–386.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Siemsen, E., Roth, A., & Oliveira, P. (2010). Common method bias in regression models with linear, quadratic, and interaction effects. Organizational Research Methods, 13, 456–476.

    Google Scholar 

  • Silvia, P. J. (2008). Discernment and creativity: How well can people identify their most creative ideas? Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 2(3), 139–146.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simonton, D. K. (1984). Genius, creativity, and leadership. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sonnentag, S., & Kruel, U. (2006). Psychological detachment from work during off-job time: The role of job stressors, job involvement, and recovery-related self-efficacy. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 15(2), 197–217.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tang, Y. T., & Chang, C. H. (2010). Impact of role ambiguity and role conflict on employee creativity. African Journal of Business Management, 4(6), 869–881.

    Google Scholar 

  • Torrance, E. P. (1969). Creativity. San Rafael: Dimensions Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Toker, S., & Biron, M. (2012). Job burnout and depression: Unraveling their temporal relationship and considering the role of physical activity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 97(3), 699–710.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tuckey, M. R., Sonnentag, S., & Bryan, J. (2018). Are state mindfulness and state work engagement related during the workday? Work & Stress, 32, 33–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Usman, M., Xiao, S. (2017). How role ambiguity and role conflict effect creativity of employees in local domestic manufacturing industry: Evidence from Pakistan. Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Industrial Economics System and Industrial Security Engineering (pp. 1-5). Kyoto, Japan: IEEE.

  • Van Der Vegt, G. S., & Bunderson, J. S. (2005). Learning and performance in multidisciplinary teams: The importance of collective team identification. Academy of Management Journal, 48(3), 532–547.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Sell, M., Brief, A. P., & Schuler, R. S. (1981). Role conflict and role ambiguity: Integration of the literature and directions for future research. Human Relations, 34(1), 43–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, S., Zhang, X., & Martocchio, J. (2011). Thinking outside of the box when the box is missing: Role ambiguity and its linkage to creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 23(3), 211–221.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weinstein, N., Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2009). A multi-method examination of the effects of mindfulness on stress attribution, coping, and emotional well-being. Journal of Research in Personality, 43(3), 374–385.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weisberg, S. (2005). Applied linear regression. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zedelius, C. M., & Schooler, J. W. (2015). Mind wandering “Ahas” versus mindful reasoning: Alternative routes to creative solutions. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 834.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Zeidner, M., & Matthews, G. (2000). Intelligence and personality. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Y., LePine, J. A., Buckman, B. R., & Wei, F. (2014). It's not fair… or is it? The role of justice and leadership in explaining work stressor-job performance relationships. Academy of Management Journal, 57, 675–697.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This work was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council under grant 430-2015-00476.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Francesco Montani.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Montani, F., Setti, I., Sommovigo, V. et al. Who Responds Creatively to Role Conflict? Evidence for a Curvilinear Relationship Mediated by Cognitive Adjustment at Work and Moderated by Mindfulness. J Bus Psychol 35, 621–641 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-019-09644-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-019-09644-9

Keywords

Navigation