When the social fabric of organizations limits individual autonomy, new ideas are needed that satisfy a person’s will as well as the constraints imposed by the social context. To explain when people achieve this synthesis and display creativity under low job autonomy, we examine the influence of their action-state orientation. The theory of action versus state orientation contrasts two responses people display when faced by a situation that conflicts with their will. An action-oriented response entails that people readily disengage from processing the situation and initiate goal-striving, while a state-oriented response entails that people remain focused on the situation. We argue that creativity under low job autonomy requires the integration of the competing processes underlying action and state orientation and is most frequently displayed by people in the midrange of the action-state orientation continuum. We test this theorizing with three studies. In a constrained laboratory setting, we induced a focus on an unwanted situation and demonstrated an inverted-U-shaped relationship between action-state orientation and creativity. A field study showed that the inverted-U-shaped relationship between action-state orientation and daily self-reports of creativity was strongest under low job autonomy and disappeared under high job autonomy. A multisource study replicated and extended these relationships using managerial ratings of creativity.

当组织的社会结构限制个人自治时，需要新的思想来满足一个人的意愿以及社会环境所施加的约束。为了解释人们何时在低工作自主性下实现这种综合并展示创造力，我们研究了他们的行动状态取向的影响。行动理论与国家取向理论对比了人们面对与自己意愿冲突的情况时所表现出的两种反应。面向行动的响应意味着人们很容易从处理情况中脱离出来并开始追求目标，而面向国家的响应则意味着人们仍然专注于局势。我们认为，低工作自主性下的创造力需要整合行为和状态导向下的竞争过程，并且最经常由处于行为-状态导向连续体中间范围的人展示。我们通过三项研究测试了这一理论。在受限的实验室环境中，我们引起了人们对意外情况的关注，并展示了行动状态取向与创造力之间呈倒U形的关系。现场研究表明，在低工作自主性下，行动状态取向与创造力的日常自我报告之间的倒U形关系最强，而在高工作自主性下则消失。一项多源研究使用创造力的管理评价来复制和扩展这些关系。我们通过三项研究测试了这一理论。在受限的实验室环境中，我们引起了人们对意外情况的关注，并展示了行动状态取向与创造力之间呈倒U形的关系。现场研究表明，在低工作自主性下，行动状态取向与创造力的日常自我报告之间的倒U形关系最强，而在高工作自主性下则消失。一项多源研究使用创造力的管理评价来复制和扩展这些关系。我们通过三项研究测试了这一理论。在受限的实验室环境中，我们引起了人们对意外情况的关注，并展示了行动状态取向与创造力之间呈倒U形的关系。现场研究表明，在低工作自主性下，行动状态取向与创造力的日常自我报告之间的倒U形关系最强，而在高工作自主性下则消失。一项多源研究使用创造力的管理评价来复制和扩展这些关系。现场研究表明，在低工作自主性下，行动状态取向与创造力的日常自我报告之间的倒U形关系最强，而在高工作自主性下则消失。一项多源研究使用创造力的管理评价来复制和扩展这些关系。现场研究表明，在低工作自主性下，行动状态取向与创造力的日常自我报告之间的倒U形关系最强，而在高工作自主性下则消失。一项多源研究使用创造力的管理评价来复制和扩展这些关系。