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An Intraindividual Theory of Workplace Impostor Thoughts and Creativity
Abstract   Open access

An Intraindividual Theory of Workplace Impostor Thoughts and Creativity

Basima Tewfik and Daniel Kim
Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings, Vol.2026(1)
07/2026
DOI: 10.5465/AMPROC.2026.18471abstract
url
https://doi.org/10.5465/AMPROC.2026.18471abstractView
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Existing research on the impostor phenomenon—or ‘workplace impostor thoughts’—typically portrays such thoughts as undermining creativity: Individuals who believe that others overestimate their capabilities are assumed to be less creative. Initial theorizing, however, hints at a more complex reality: Workplace impostor thoughts sometimes precede creative highs, and, at other times, creative lows. Despite these allusions, prior work has not elaborated these possibilities into a coherent theory or identified the mechanisms that explain them, leaving open the critical question of how and when workplace impostor thoughts enable and inhibit creativity. Accordingly, we build a theory of workplace impostor thoughts and creativity that looks within a given individual. We theorize that workplace impostor thoughts have opposing effects. When construed positively—as signals to rise to the occasion—they foster task-focused attention that enhances creativity. When construed negatively—as reminders of not measuring up—they fuel rumination-based distraction that impairs creativity. We test this model in two experiments and two experience sampling studies (one in the supplement) across diverse samples of comedians, executive MBAs, and full-time employees (n = 3748 observations from 1062 individuals). We conclude with contributions to theory on workplace impostor thoughts and creativity.

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