The complex relationship between creativity and consumer ethics depending on endemic corruption in emerging and developed countries

Creativity and ethics are two topics that are extremely important to business managers and researchers. However, only limited research has examined their relationship and has shown contradictory results: the effect of creativity on unethical behavior proves to be sometimes positive, sometimes negative. In this vein, building on social cognitive theory, we examine whether this relationship depends on a macroeconomic factor – endemic corruption – as a boundary condition. We further consider the mechanism through which creativity can lead to unethical behavior and focus on the role of subjective well‐being. We collect data from 1463 individuals in two high‐corruption and emerging countries, Brazil and China, and two low‐corruption and developed countries, France and the United States. Based on a multi‐level (or hierarchical) analysis, our results show that, in high‐corruption countries, creativity is negatively related to unethical behaviors. Conversely, in low‐corruption countries, the relationship is positive and mediated by subjective well‐being.