Stress[ed] out, leisure in: The role of leisure crafting in facilitating entrepreneurs’ work stressor— creativity relationship

Abstract

Although entrepreneurs' work tends to be highly stressful, it is unclear how specific work stressors influence entrepreneurs' work outcomes. Drawing on the challenge-hindrance stressor framework (CHSF), we examine how both challenge and hindrance stressors influence entrepreneurs' creativity. Additionally, to investigate a more complete view of the entrepreneurial stress process, we integrate the CHSF with theory on leisure crafting to examine how proactively structuring one's leisure might help entrepreneurs deal with stress and maintain creativity. Results from a time-lagged study of 258 entrepreneurs showed that challenge stressors were positively and directly related to entrepreneurs' creativity, whereas hindrance stressors were not. Hindrance stressors increased engagement in leisure crafting, which enhanced creativity, highlighting a positive indirect effect of hindrance stressors on entrepreneurs' creativity. These findings provide generative insights into the nature of stressors and the micro-foundational mechanisms of stress and leisure within entrepreneurship.