Improving employee self-rated creativity using paradoxical strengths regulation: A mediated path analysis among personality traits, paradox mindset, and employee self-rated creativity Florencio Kabigting (Jun) Jr , Stewart Donaldson , Jeanne Nakamura Division of Behavioral & Organizational Sciences, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA 91711, United States A R T I C L E INFO Keywords: Strengths Traits Paradox theory Self-creativity Strengths regulation ABSTRACT To remain competitive in today’s globalized and fast-paced world, organizations depend on employees’ crea- tivity. In this article, I present a novel concept of Paradoxical Strengths Regulation (PSR), which proposes that combining seemingly contradictory strengths can enhance creativity. PSR utilizes the paradoxical personality traits of Openness to Experience (Openness) and Conscientiousness, examining their relationship to creativity, particularly Employee Self-rated Creativity (ESC), through a paradox mindset. A sample of 189 US-based working adult participants was used in a cross-sectional survey design, employing various statistical analyses to test hypotheses related to the PSR framework. The findings supported the hypothesis that a paradox mindset me- diates the relationship between Openness and ESC. Moreover, the investigation revealed that, on its own, Openness strongly correlated with ESC, but this was not the case for Conscientiousness. Furthermore, the traits showed no significant relationship, indicating that they do not necessarily need to be combined to enhance creativity. Instead, leveraging one’s Openness trait and adopting a paradox mindset appears more beneficial. However, the efficacy of the PSR framework could not conclusively be determined at this stage, suggesting that future research could explore facet (sub-trait)-level analysis for further understanding. The research’s implica- tions, applications, strengths, and limitations are also discussed. 1. Improving employee self-rated creativity using paradoxical strengths regulation: a mediated path analysis between personality traits, paradox mindset, and employee self-creativity “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind simultaneously and still retain the ability to function.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940), American novelist, essayist, and screenwriter In today’s hyper-competitive and technology-driven business world, enhancing employee creativity can provide a competitive advantage to organizations (George & Zhou, 2001). In this article, creativity is defined as the production of novel and useful ideas (Amabile, 1983). The com- ponents of creativity within an individual’s control include domain-level relevant skills, creativity-relevant processes, and task motivation. In contrast, another component outside an individual’s control is the surrounding environment (Amabile, 2012). However, an important precursor to creativity is creative self-efficacy, which refers to an in- dividual’s belief in their ability to produce creative outcomes (CSE; Tierney et al., 1999). When individuals believe they can be creative, they are more likely to pursue learning opportunities within their domain, enhancing their expertise and contributing directly to creative outputs. In addition, individuals with high CSE are more likely to take risks and explore unconventional ideas, aligning with Amabile’s concept of creativity-relevant skills, which includes traits like flexibility and openness to new experiences. This openness is essential for generating novel ideas, a core aspect of Amabile’s definition. Lastly, high CSE boosts an individual’s motivation to engage in creative tasks, aligning closely with Amabile’s emphasis on task (intrinsic) motivation, which is crucial for creativity. When individuals feel capable, they are more likely to undertake challenges that require creative efforts. Zhou and George’s (2003) research indicated that leader behaviors that enhance Author Notes: The author has no known conflict of interest to disclose. My extreme gratitude to Claremont Graduate University’s Prof. Stewart Donaldson, Jeanne Nakamura, Becky Reichard, and Kathy Pezdek for their critical reviews, insights, and suggestions that made this study and article possible. My personal thanks to Dr. Dan Harrison for introducing and inspiring me to study the science of paradox theory. E-mail address: florencio.kabigting@cgu.edu (F. Kabigting (Jun)). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Creativity journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/yjoc https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yjoc.2025.100101 Received 27 November 2024; Received in revised form 16 June 2025; Accepted 24 June 2025 Journal of Creativity 35 (2025) 100101 Available online 26 June 2025 2713-3745/© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Academy of Creativity. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).