Is ambivalent emotion good or bad for creativity? A moderated mediation model of the new construct of emotional stability

Yan Li (), Abdul Gaffar Khan () and Sizhi Chen ()
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Yan Li: Beijing Institute of Technology
Abdul Gaffar Khan: Beijing Institute of Technology
Sizhi Chen: Beijing Institute of Technology

Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 2025, vol. 42, issue 2, No 5, 595-631

Abstract: Abstract Ambivalent situations activate ambivalent emotions (i.e., the simultaneous experience of discrete emotions such as happiness and sadness), which is a ubiquitous phenomenon in organizations. Yet, how and when does ambivalent emotion foster or impede creativity? Unfortunately, prior scholars have largely overlooked the consequences of ambivalent emotion. However, informational theories of emotion deem that ambivalent emotion stimulates more information, which facilitates creativity. On the other hand, another resource depletion perspective thinks ambivalence is a stressful situation that hinders creativity, which demands more psychological resources to identify and solve problems in a new way. Drawing from the lenses of conservation of resources theory (COR), informational theories of emotion, the theory of emotion regulation strategy, and the bifurcation model of affect, a moderated mediation model is developed and found where two facets (i.e., information searching and coding engagement and idea generation engagement) of creative process engagement mediate the association between ambivalent emotion and creativity, in which ambivalent emotion diminishes the two facets of creative process engagement so that results in undermined creativity. And one dimension (i.e., emotion threshold) of a new construct of emotional stability moderated the mediation effect of idea generation engagement in the process, such that this relationship is stronger when emotion threshold is high. This study also reveals that another dimension (i.e., emotion recovery) of the new emotional stability positively relates to creativity. We test and find support for our theorized hypotheses across two field studies using Chinese samples (N =294) and Bangladeshi samples (N =243 with multi-wave and multisource designs). The theoretical and practical implications of these findings in organizations, their plausible limitations, and future directions are addressed.

Keywords: Ambivalent emotion; Creative process engagement; Emotional stability; Creativity; Conservation of resources theory; Informational theories of emotion; Bifurcation model of affect (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s10490-023-09929-x

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