The Influence of Personality Traits on Employees’ Creative Deviance: The Mediating Role of Job Crafting and the Moderating Role of Contextual Ambidexterity

Abstract

Based on Self-Determination Theory, this study reveals the internal mechanism by which the Dark Triad personality traits stimulate creative deviance through job crafting, and identifies the critical boundary role of contextual ambidexterity. An analysis of 1,117 employee survey responses from across China indicates that the Dark Triad positively drives creative deviance, challenging the traditional view that it solely suppresses constructive behavior. Employees with Dark Triad traits proactively reshape their tasks, relationships, and cognitive boundaries, thereby securing essential resources and operational cover for creative deviance. A high level of contextual ambidexterity significantly enhances the conversion efficiency from job crafting to creative deviance—effectively suppressing the potential destructiveness of such traits while fully unleashing their capacity for breakthrough innovation. This study uncovers the intrinsic pathway linking the Dark Triad to creative deviance via job crafting and establishes contextual ambidexterity as a key boundary condition. The findings suggest that organizations should reconsider their management strategies toward employees with Dark Triad traits, focusing on fostering a high-contextual ambidexterity environment to systematically channel their traits toward valuable, disruptive innovation while mitigating associated risks.