Linking creativity with unethical behaviors: investigating when and why creativity predicts unethical pro-organizational behavior

Purpose The aim of this study is to examine when and why employee creative behavior leads to unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB). Drawing on research on moral licensing, we argue that the relationship between employee creative behavior and UPB is indirectly mediated by moral licence. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected from 214 employees and their immediate supervisors, and the theoretical hypotheses were tested by correlation and a hierarchical regression analysis. Findings We found that: (1) employee creative behavior is positively correlated with their moral credentials and moral credits; (2) it supported the mediating role of moral credentials between creative behavior and UPB but did not support the relationship between creative behavior and UPB through moral credits and (3) the indirect relationship between creative behavior and UPB is strengthened through moral credentials when perceptions of organizational valuing of creativity are high. Originality/value This study responds to calls from researchers to explore more detrimental outcomes of creativity, and we extend existing research by empirically showing that creativity can promote some unethical pro-organizational behavior. We also contribute to explore the mediated role of moral licensing and the moderated role of the perceived organizational valuing of creativity to explain the creative behavior–UPB relationship.