The relationship between creativity and (un)ethical behavior: a literature review and future directions

Given its great benefits for individuals, organizations, and societies, creativity has received increasing attention from scholars. However, recent research has provided some initial empirical evidence that creativity has a potential dark side in organizations, such as triggering unethical behavior. At the same time, another stream of research focusing on the antecedents of creativity has revealed that individuals' (un)ethical behavior could influence creativity in intrapersonal and interpersonal ways. To build a useful framework to describe the relationship between creativity and (un)ethical behavior, this chapter reviews and divides the relevant literature into four categories. Specifically, we organize existing studies by considering two dimensions: the causality of creativity and (un)ethical behavior (i.e., the effects of creativity on [un]ethical behavior vs. the effects of [un]ethical behavior on creativity), and the perspective adopted by the research (i.e., intrapersonal vs. interpersonal perspective). Finally, we conclude by discussing promising directions for future research.