The dark sides of engaging in creative processes: Coworker envy, workplace ostracism, and incivility

Abstract

Previous research has intensively investigated the positive consequences of creative behaviors while the negative consequences have mostly been neglected. Based on the social comparison theory, the current research investigates coworker envy, workplace ostracism and incivility as the dark sides of creative process engagement, while the focal employee’s helping behavior is suggested to mitigate this negative influence. With a three-wave supervisor-employee matched data from China, our hypothesized mediated moderation framework was examined and confirmed. Specifically, our study found that helping coworkers could moderate the relationship between the focal employee’s creative process engagement and coworker envy. Specifically, this relationship is significantly positive with low levels of helping behaviors but not significant with high levels of helping behaviors. The resulting coworker envy further leads to coworker workplace ostracism and the focal employee’s uncivil behaviors towards coworkers. Furthermore, coworker envy mediated the interactive effect of creative process engagement and helping behaviors on coworker workplace ostracism and the focal employee’s incivility. Theoretical and practical implications have been discussed.