I regulate my emotions; therefore, I am creative? Daily emotion regulation and workplace creativity

Abstract

Evidence on the daily within-person relationship between emotion regulation strategies and creativity remains limited, particularly in non-service contexts. This study addresses this gap by examining the indirect relationship between day-level deep and surface acting and creativity via positive affect, and the moderating role of emotion regulation ability. One-week diary study of 103 employees, analyzed using multilevel structural equation modeling. Day-level deep acting was indirectly related to day-level creativity through positive affect, whereas surface acting showed the opposite pattern. Emotion regulation ability amplified the positive affective outcomes of day-level deep acting but did not buffer the negative effects of surface acting. By examining how day-level deep and surface acting indirectly relate to creativity via positive affect in a non-service context, this study addresses a gap in research on day-level emotion regulation and creativity. Integrating broaden-and-build theory with emotion regulation research, it highlights emotion regulation ability as a personal resource amplifying the positive affective outcomes of deep acting.