Moral behavior is typically something cherished in the workplace, but there have been concerns that creativity thrives better when we’re happy to bend the rules a bit. Research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggests that this doesn’t have to be the case, and that morality can in fact spark creativity too.
The author emphasizes the existence of moral-based innovations in the business world. In the 1950s, Volvo engineers focused on improving vehicle safety and developed the three-point seatbelt, which they generously shared with other automobile manufacturers. Patagonia also innovated from a moral basis, and reduced emissions by incorporating recycled plastic bottles in their fleece clothing.
“Morality may not always harm creativity—and instead could help promote it. Recent research has found that individuals entrenched in moral dilemmas can engage in high levels of divergent thinking—a key antecedent of creativity,” the researcher explains. “Moreover, employees who moralize their work may be particularly motivated to enact their work in a way that upholds moral values, leading them to use ‘moral imagination’ at work. In these instances, individuals may adopt a flexible thinking style to address moral concerns.”
Ethical creativity
The researcher believes that their findings demonstrate how creativity does not need to be at the expense of ethical behavior. They feel this is important in an era of “moving fast and breaking things”.
“Instead, this research shows that individuals and firms can actually benefit from putting morality first, instead of treating it as an afterthought,” they explain. “The most important takeaway from this research is that moral considerations can drive creativity when employees’ values align with the organization.”
The author defined work moralization as the integration of moral or ethical considerations into employees’ work. This results in individuals perceiving that there is a right or wrong way to carry out their tasks based on ethics, and feeling a sense of duty to undertake morally desirable tasks and avoid those that are morally questionable.
In a study, 378 participants collaborated with a local municipality to come up with ideas for a 15-acre park that would include a combination of grasses, trees, and shrubs. The participants were informed that the town was open to new ideas and that the researchers would act as intermediaries to convey their suggestions to the town.
Doing the right thing
The study participants were presented with two scenarios: one where moral considerations for flora and fauna were emphasized as crucial to purity and sanctity (moralization condition), and another where the presence of flora and fauna was crucial for practical execution and administration (logistical condition).
In each scenario, they were told if moralization or logistical considerations were highly valued or not valued at all. The results showed that when values were aligned, employees were more likely to think creatively, but when values were not aligned, they tended to ruminate and revisit uncomfortable topics to minimize risk.
The findings suggest that when employees believe their values align with their organization’s values, they are less likely to feel that their work is unethical, and this can lead to more creativity.
Managers should therefore focus on inspiring creativity through metrics other than just avoiding unethical behavior, and if they are aware of employees moralizing their work, they should try to minimize value differences to avoid negative effects. For example, organizations can survey employees about their values and find ways to align them with the organization’s values.
“If the organization does not share the same values, individuals are less likely to believe that they have the support of their organization to think outside the box, mitigating the likelihood that they think in cognitively flexible ways,” the author concludes. “As a result, they are likely to feel limited by the organization’s values and thus become unwilling to break from accepted practices.”
