Rivalry at work increases unethical behavior

Rivalry at the workplace is a widespread and powerful yet largely understudied phenomenon with significant organizational implications. An international team of researchers studied the psychological underpinnings of rivalry and found that rivalry at the workplace largely depends on relationships and prior interactions between actors and results in increased unsporting behavior, use of deception, and a heightened willingness to employ unethical negotiation tactics. 

Kilduff, G., Galinksy, A., Gallo, E., & Reade, J. (2015). Whatever it takes to win: Rivalry increases unethical behavior. Academy of Management Journal, 59(5), 1508-1534. 

Culture influences how the social context affects creativity

Working as a team, under supervision, or on your own is differently related to creativity depending on the power-distance and individualism-collectivism cultural values of your society, as a recent study suggests. American students generated less ideas and elaborated their ideas less when working in a team compared to Chinese students working in a team. This finding may be attributed to the individualistic cultural norm that is prevalent in American culture. Chinese individuals, on the other hand, generated less original ideas when working under supervision. The high power-distance in Chinese society may have inhibited participants working under supervision, not wanting to risk a negative evaluation by their supervisor by generating novel ideas that deviate from the norm.

Journal of Organizational Behavior