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Positive Gossip Fuels Creativity: The Roles of Cognitive Crafting and Risk Taking
Sanji Qing1, Wenbing Wu1, Ying Ma1
1School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China.
Abstract:
This study, based on regulatory focus theory and internal locus of control theory, constructs a moderated mediation model to explore how perceived positive workplace gossip indirectly affects employee creativity through promotion-oriented cognitive crafting and risk-taking behavior. Through the analysis of four-wave, two-source survey data from 463 employees, this study found that perceived positive gossip can stimulate promotion-oriented cognitive crafting in the gossiped-about employees, which in turn promotes risk-taking behavior and ultimately enhances creativity. Furthermore, internal locus of control plays a significant moderating role in this mechanism. The gossiped-about employees with a high internal locus of control are more inclined to respond positively when faced with positive gossip, exhibiting higher promotion-oriented cognitive crafting and risk-taking behavior. Overall, this research advances the understanding of positive gossip's functional consequences and offers practical insights for fostering organizational creativity.
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