The Impact of Need for Uniqueness on Employees' Radical and Incremental Creativity

Abstract

Abstract: In this paper, we investigate the differential impacts of need for uniqueness (NFU) on employees' radical versus incremental creativity. Based on uniqueness theory, we argue that employees with high NFU are likely to demonstrate more radical than incremental creativity. In a field study using data collected from 337 dyads of employees and their immediate supervisors, we find that NFU is significantly and positively related to employees' radical and incremental creativity. NFU has a stronger positive relationship with employees' radical creativity than with employees' incremental creativity. Creative deviance is a key mechanism that enables employees with high NFU to exhibit radical and incremental creativity. The influence of NFU on employees' radical creativity through creative deviance is stronger than that of NFU on employees' incremental creativity through creative deviance. Inclusive leadership moderates the positive relationship between NFU and creative deviance and enhances the positive indirect effect of NFU on employee radical and incremental creativity. The conditional indirect relationship between NFU and employee radical creativity is significantly greater than the conditional indirect relationship between NFU and employee incremental creativity. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Key words: need for uniqueness, creative deviance, inclusive leadership, radical creativity, icremental creativity

Xu Yuping, Yan Rongxiao, Liu Zhiqiang, Cheng Huan, Wei Lihua. The Impact of Need for Uniqueness on Employees' Radical and Incremental Creativity[J]. Management Review, 2023, 35(6): 193-204.

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