License to steal: How the creative identity entitles dishonesty

Organizations operate in an increasingly uncertain and changing world. Competition on the domestic and international fronts is intense, and organizations must create new products, strategies, services, and methods for maneuvering in the changing environment. As a result, organizations are recognizing the value of employees’ creativity as a way to innovate and maintain a competitive advantage (Thompson, 2003). Researchers and organizations are now beginning to explore how having a creative identity can increase creativity (Farmer, Tierney, & Kung-Mclntyre, 2003; Jaussi, Randel, & Dionne, 2007). Given the power of identities for shaping performance outcomes (Ashforth & Mael, 1989; Beyer & Hannah, 2002; Wrzesniewski, Dutton, & Debebe, 2003), it is not surprising that recent research has begun to explore how the creative identity can also motivate creative behavior.