Does Role Conflict Fuel Employee Creativity? Evidence for a Curvilinear Relationship Moderated by Mindfulness

Purpose – This study aims to clarify to what extent and under what conditions role conflict is positively related to employee creativity. Building on activation theory and conservation of resource 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 moderated by mindfulness, such that the beneficial effects of a moderate level of role conflict would hold only for employees with high levels of mindfulness. Design/Methodology/Approach/Intervention – We conducted two independent studies – a cross-sectional study among 123 employees from an Italian firm and a time-lagged study among 134 employees from various Canadian firms – to test our hypotheses. Results – Consistent with our predictions, polynomial regression analysis results provided evidence for an inverted U-shaped relationship between role conflict and creativity. Moreover, when mindfulness was high (versus low), intermediate levels of role conflict were associated with increased creativity. Limitations – The self-report nature of our studies raises issues of common method variance. Research/Practical implications – 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 in spite of conflict role demands. Originality/Value – This is the first study to document non-linear relationships between role conflict and employee creativity, as well as to identify mindfulness as a boundary condition shaping the creativity-enhancing effects of role conflict.