Personality, Values, or Attitudes? : Individual-Level Antecedents to Creative Deviance

Abstract

Creative deviance, i.e., the violation of a managerial order to stop working on a new idea, is an emerging topic in innovation research. Whereas the outcomes of this nonconforming behaviour are inherently ambiguous, its importance for corporations’ innovative capability is undisputed. We complement prior research on the organisational-level determinants of creative deviance by studying its individual-level antecedents. We hypothesise that risk propensity as a personality trait is positively related, whereas allocentrism as a personal value orientation and organisational commitment as a personal attitude are negatively related to creative deviance. Risk propensity is considered the strongest predictor, as it affects creative deviance both directly and indirectly through allocentrism and commitment. Data from 457 employees in a German high-tech corporation support our hypotheses. Our findings contribute to research on innovation management and organisational behaviour while yielding managerial recommendations for leadership and recruitment.