The Benefits of Power Asymmetry on Creativity: The Moderating Effect of Simmelian Friendship Ties

This paper examines the effect that formal and informal social structures conjointly have on dyadic create performance. Specifically, we propose that formal power asymmetry, or interactions between individuals of different ranks, can enhance the creative performance of dyads by facilitating conflict resolution and positive affect and that Simmelian friendship ties moderate negatively this relationship. Two intraorganizational network studies provided support to our hypotheses. Our findings suggest that the normative power of friendship cliques works as a strong situation that fosters creative performance, especially for power symmetric dyads who tend to face more collaborative challenges.