1. Co-creation Incompleteness: Engage Early Users Through Idea Pitching

Dissertation

Why some of creators can pitch early-stage ideas to engage more users as co-creators rather than passive evaluators? This dissertation develops the construct of co-creation incompleteness—a strategic communication approach in which creators present ideas as sufficiently structured to convey vision yet intentionally open to invite user input. Drawing on sensemaking theory and the Emotions as Social Information (EASI) model, I theorize that co-creation incompleteness emerges from a balance of emotional intensity and cognitive clarity in early-stage pitches. I propose that moderate positive emotional cues and rich, elaborated cognitive scaffolds signal both creative vision and openness to user input, eliciting audience attention and co-creation engagement. In video game industry, I collected and analyzed 1,921 Early Access game pitches on Steam via natural language processing, linking affective and cognitive cues to  user reaction. This study illuminate how creators can frame incomplete ideas to foster early user attention, developmental feedback, and collaborative innovation.

Keywords: creativity, pitching, feedback, engagement, quantitative study

2. The process and impact of collaborative breakdowns in creative work [Title redacted for peer review]

In collaboration with Harrison, S. H., Reilly, P., and Kim, K.

In-print at Academy of Management Journal

Creativeteams thrive on divergent ideas—but those same ideas can also drive them apart. When collaborations break down, departing individuals often invoke "creative differences" to explain their exit. But does this ambiguous label actually protect their reputation and future career opportunities? We explore this question through a mixed-method study of collaborative breakdowns in the Hollywood film industry. Our qualitative interviews with directors, producers, and executives reveal that while "creative differences" can soften reputational damage, it is often perceived as vague, strategic, and inconsistently effective. Building on these insights, we conduct a quantitative analysis comparing directors who exited projects citing creative differences with those who left for other reasons. Our findings highlight a hidden dilemma in creative work: how the need for creative expression intersects with the reputational risks of collaboration gone wrong.

Keywords: creativity, collaboration, confilct, leadership, career, mixed-approach

3. Inter-team competition and job crafting: Moderation of leadership orientation [Title redacted for peer review]

In collaboration with Jiang, W. Y.

Conditionally accepted at Journal of Business and Psychology

How does competition between teams shape how team members proactively redesign their work? This study explores the interaction effects of inter-team competition and leadership orientation on job crafting in a multi-team setting. Drawing on social comparison and self-regulation theories, we argue that moderate competition motivates crafting, while excessive competition undermines it. We tested this inverted U-shape using interview and survey data from 133 teams and 722 employees in a Chinese restaurant chain during the pandemic. Results show that task, relational, and cognitive crafting peak under moderate competition. Moreover, task-oriented leadership buffers competition for task crafting. These findings reveal how competitive pressure and leadership styles interact to shape proactive behavior—and offer practical insights for enabling thoughtful, adaptive work design.

Keywords: job crafting, proactivity, competition, leadership, quantitative study

4. Divergence and distribution of positive effect among co-founders and early venture assessments [Title redacted for peer review]

In collaboration with Milovac, M. and Sanchez-Burks, J.

When co-founders pitch a new venture, how they express emotion can shape how their startup is judged. Across two studies, we examine how divergence and distribution of positive affect between co-founders influence investor evaluations. In Study 1, we analyze pitch videos submitted to top accelerators and find that emotional divergence—when co-founders show different levels of enthusiasm—boosts early-stage funding and growth, especially when they hold distinct functional roles. In Study 2, an experiment reveals that investors respond most favorably when co-founders in creative roles express more positive affect. Together, the findings show how emotional dynamics signal complementarity and shape perceptions of venture potential.

Keywords: co-founding, affect, perception, early-stage entrepreneurship, mixed-approach