Creativity gain or drain: The dual association between boundary-spanning and creativity
Boundary-spanning behavior, which involves building relationships with external entities to achieve organizational goals, has been highlighted as a key mechanism for enhancing the inflow of external knowledge. While boundary-spanning can fuel creativity by providing employees with new resources, ide...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Acta Psychologica |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691824005572 |
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| author | Mingfeng Tang Xiaomeng Liu Grace Sheila Walsh Dritjon Gruda |
| author_facet | Mingfeng Tang Xiaomeng Liu Grace Sheila Walsh Dritjon Gruda |
| author_sort | Mingfeng Tang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Boundary-spanning behavior, which involves building relationships with external entities to achieve organizational goals, has been highlighted as a key mechanism for enhancing the inflow of external knowledge. While boundary-spanning can fuel creativity by providing employees with new resources, ideas, and inspiration, it also poses challenges, potentially depleting resources and inducing stress that hinders creativity. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory, this paper explores the dual impact of boundary-spanning on employee creativity—serving both as a facilitator and inhibitor. Through an experimental study (n = 299) and a field study (n = 331 employees, 49 supervisors), we examine how external engagement fosters or hampers creative thinking, focusing on the mechanisms of resource gain and resource drain. Our findings contribute to the understanding of how organizations can balance the demands of boundary-spanning to harness its creative potential while mitigating its negative consequences. This research provides actionable insights for businesses seeking to thrive in competitive, innovation-driven environments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e975d7fe7ee04e39a59d490111a3ef28 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0001-6918 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Psychologica |
| spelling | doaj-art-e975d7fe7ee04e39a59d490111a3ef282025-01-12T05:24:01ZengElsevierActa Psychologica0001-69182025-02-01252104679Creativity gain or drain: The dual association between boundary-spanning and creativityMingfeng Tang0Xiaomeng Liu1Grace Sheila Walsh2Dritjon Gruda3Sino-French Innovation Research Center, Faculty of Business Administration, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, 611130 Chengdu, China; Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, University of Strasbourg, FranceFaculty of Business Administration, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, 611130 Chengdu, ChinaSchool of Business, Maynooth University, Ireland; CONNECT, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Future Networks and Communications, Maynooth University, IrelandSchool of Business, Maynooth University, Ireland; Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Católica Porto Business School, Research Centre in Management and Economics, Portugal; Corresponding author.Boundary-spanning behavior, which involves building relationships with external entities to achieve organizational goals, has been highlighted as a key mechanism for enhancing the inflow of external knowledge. While boundary-spanning can fuel creativity by providing employees with new resources, ideas, and inspiration, it also poses challenges, potentially depleting resources and inducing stress that hinders creativity. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory, this paper explores the dual impact of boundary-spanning on employee creativity—serving both as a facilitator and inhibitor. Through an experimental study (n = 299) and a field study (n = 331 employees, 49 supervisors), we examine how external engagement fosters or hampers creative thinking, focusing on the mechanisms of resource gain and resource drain. Our findings contribute to the understanding of how organizations can balance the demands of boundary-spanning to harness its creative potential while mitigating its negative consequences. This research provides actionable insights for businesses seeking to thrive in competitive, innovation-driven environments.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691824005572Boundary-spanning behaviorCreativityThriving at workego depletion |
| spellingShingle | Mingfeng Tang Xiaomeng Liu Grace Sheila Walsh Dritjon Gruda Creativity gain or drain: The dual association between boundary-spanning and creativity Acta Psychologica Boundary-spanning behavior Creativity Thriving at work ego depletion |
| title | Creativity gain or drain: The dual association between boundary-spanning and creativity |
| title_full | Creativity gain or drain: The dual association between boundary-spanning and creativity |
| title_fullStr | Creativity gain or drain: The dual association between boundary-spanning and creativity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Creativity gain or drain: The dual association between boundary-spanning and creativity |
| title_short | Creativity gain or drain: The dual association between boundary-spanning and creativity |
| title_sort | creativity gain or drain the dual association between boundary spanning and creativity |
| topic | Boundary-spanning behavior Creativity Thriving at work ego depletion |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691824005572 |
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