How the Workplace Influences Teachers’ Creativity: A Two-Wave Study on Workplace Bullying, Organisational Bullying Risk Factors and Creativity

Abstract

Based on affective events theory, the present two-wave study investigated the predictive role of organisational features and exposure to workplace bullying in generating decreased creativity. Although several inhibitors of creativity at work have been identified, few longitudinal studies have aimed to determine whether affective events such as workplace bullying impact employees’ creativity. In the present two-wave, time-lagged panel design study (N = 261), teachers. completed the Negative Activities Questionnaire, the Risk Assessment of Workplace Bullying Questionnaire and the Creative Behavior Questionnaire twice, with a six-month interval between waves. The results indicate that specific negative workplace conditions – that is, workplace bullying risk factors – in the first wave were related to exposure to workplace bullying in the first and second waves and also led to a decrease in individual creativity in the second wave. Moreover, exposure to workplace bullying in the first wave predicted a drop in two creativity facets, self-realisation and ego strength, in the second wave. However, when organisational factors were included in the model, exposure to bullying no longer predicted a decrease in creative aspects. It is suggested that to promote teachers’ creativity, it is essential to prevent workplace bullying by building a constructive social climate and fostering proper leadership practices.