Effects of Stress and Co-Rumination on Creativity and Performance

Stress is shown to have a negative impact on individuals, organizations, and society at large. Though research in industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology has examined the relationship between stress and various organizational outcomes, the effects of stress on creativity and performance have seldom been investigated. Furthermore, despite the well-reported buffering effects of social support on the negative outcomes of stress, the potential effects of one type of social support, co-rumination, on organizational outcomes have not been examined. Therefore, using 100 undergraduate students, the effects of stress and co-rumination on creativity and performance were examined. Results did not show that stress and co-rumination exerted negative effects on creativity and performance. However, co-rumination benefited women more than men by improving their creativity levels and performance ratings, and this was inconsistent with our hypothesis. Results of the present study imply that even if individuals are under stress and co-ruminate with their co-workers to deal with stress in the workplace, stress and co-rumination may not necessarily lower their creativity and performance