Can curiosity spark the fire of innovation? An investigation in China

Abstract Curiosity has been seen as an important driver of individual innovation. However, empirical evidence regarding the relationship between curiosity and innovation is equivocal. We draw on the situational strength perspective to develop and test a contingency model that focuses on the contextual boundary conditions of this relationship among Chinese employees. In a controlled experiment with 191 part‐time MBA students, in which curiosity was examined as a state, we found that (1) the main effect of curiosity on innovative behavioral intention was insignificant; (2) authoritarian leadership and job autonomy moderated the association of curiosity with innovative behavioral intention, such that this association was positively significant under circumstances of low authoritarian leadership or high job autonomy but not under circumstances of high authoritarian leadership or low job autonomy; and (3) job autonomy functioned as a mediator for the moderating effect of authoritarian leadership. These findings were constructively replicated in a field study of 206 subordinate–supervisor dyads in which curiosity was examined as a trait and innovative behavior was rated by supervisors. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings and directions for future research are discussed.