We examined the contingent value of individuals’ critical thinking on their creativity at work
by focusing on the generation of, process of, and solutions found, in developing novel and
useful ideas. To extend previous research emphasizing individual characteristics, such as
personality traits, we focused on the value of individuals’ critical thinking and its impact
on creativity. In the pretest, 442 employees completed a critical thinking questionnaire and
then, in a field study, 211 dyads of managers and their subordinates completed the validated
questionnaire. Results revealed a positive relationship between critical thinking and employee
creativity, and creative process engagement completely mediated this relationship. Further,
leader–member exchange was found to weaken the relationship between critical thinking and
creative process engagement. Implications of the study for practice are discussed