Focusing on the bottom line at the expense of creativity: the role of construal level in goal shielding

Purpose Intense competition has driven many organizations to require employees to meet the bottom line, such as certain work goals and performance standards. It is unsurprising that many employees embrace one-dimensional thinking revolving around meeting the bottom line to the exclusion of other considerations. Whereas this mentality may aid particular task functioning, it may inhibit holistic thinking. This research aims to elucidate the potential drawbacks of employee bottom-line mentality (BLM). Design/methodology/approach A multi-wave, multi-source survey involving 389 full-time employees and their 148 direct leaders was conducted. Findings Employees’ BLM was negatively related to their construal levels, subsequently reducing their creativity. These results were amplified when leader BLM was high and were non-significant when leader BLM was low. Practical implications The findings caution against ubiquitously promoting employee BLM. Organizations and leaders should emphasize diverse work objectives and promote abstract thinking to foster employee creativity. Originality/value This paper sheds light on employee BLM’s implications for employee thinking patterns and creativity, as well as the interactive effect of employee BLM and leader BLM on employee outcomes.