Does authoritarianism necessarily stifle creativity? The role of discipline-focused authoritarian leadership.

A burgeoning body of research has shown that authoritarian leadership (AL) embodies the characteristics of "light" and "dark," meaning that it does not always have a negative impact on employees' creative activities. However, studies explaining this potential positive effect are insufficient. To extend the AL and creativity literature, we draw on self-determination theory and event system theory, and elicit discipline-focused AL and appointment event criticality to examine whether, when, and how authoritarian leaders affect employee creativity positively.