The Big Five dimensions and Individual creativity: “The influence of the contextual factors autonomy, supervisory support, and conflict”

Creativity is the development of something new and useful to the organization. In this rapidly changing world organizations survive by constantly inventing new products, services, and procedures. And individual employees who work alone or in teams make that happen. Therefore individual creativity, and that what prospers creativity is very important. But what enhances creativity? This research aims to contribute to the understanding of what enhances creativity. This by looking at the relation between the Big Five personality dimensions (openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) and individual creativity and which of the contextual factors; autonomy, supervisory support, and conflict moderates that relation in order to enhance individual creativity. The past literature shows that people with high extraversion and openness to experience are more creative. While the other three dimensions show divergent results. The literature concerning autonomy, supervisory support, and conflict shows that they all have a moderating effect on individual creativity. But what is the moderating effect on the Big Five personality dimensions of these contextual factors to enhance creativity? The results of a survey performed amongst a sample of 153 employees working in different kind of Dutch organizations at different kind of levels indicate that high levels of perceived autonomy positive moderates two personality traits namely extraversion and openness to experience in such a way that it enhances individual creativity. On the other hand a high level of autonomy and a high level of neuroticism decreases individual creativity. This study adds to the growing literature to the field of the Big Five personality traits and individual creativity by providing evidence of the moderating effect of perceived autonomy on the relation between the Big Five personality traits and individual creativity. So an increased understanding of the influence of contextual factors has been accomplished. However, the relation is more complex than at first sight. It all depends on the kind of level of autonomy. Which means there is still more to learn about the influences of contextual factors. This is a very good reason to conduct future research given the importance of creativity.