Given the significant impact of Generative AI (GenAI) in the workplace, there are surprisingly few empirical studies examining how employees’ GenAI awareness shapes differently oriented job crafting behaviors. In organizations, understanding this is important because GenAI is unlikely to fully replace employees; instead, it requires them to adopt adaptive strategies to work alongside GenAI. If employees engage in avoidance crafting behavior, it could have negative consequences for the organization. Based on sensemaking theory, we develop a theoretical model to explore how employees’ GenAI awareness affects their job crafting behavior, as well as the mediating mechanisms and boundary conditions of its influence. Using self-evaluation data from 316 employees at three time points, the results of our hypothesis testing reveal that when employees perceive high internal Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), their GenAI awareness triggers harmonious work passion and leads to approach job crafting; conversely, when employees perceive high external Corporate Social Responsibility, their GenAI awareness triggers obsessive work passion and leads to avoidance job crafting. Finally, the theoretical and empirical implications of our findings are discussed.

This study investigates the impact of Machiavellian leadership on team creativity through the mediating role of cross-understanding and the moderating effect of task interdependence. While prior research has emphasized the negative consequences of Machiavellian tendencies, we argue that in highly interdependent team settings—such as project-based groups in technology, manufacturing, and financial enterprises—such leaders may foster constructive processes that enhance innovation. Drawing on social learning and trait activation theories, we conducted a multi-source survey of 86 teams (379 employees) in Chinese organizations. Team members assessed task interdependence and cross-understanding, while leaders reported their own Machiavellian tendencies and rated team creativity. Results show that Machiavellian leadership predicts team creativity indirectly through cross-understanding, with task interdependence strengthening this pathway. Theoretically, this study enriches leadership and creativity research by providing a nuanced view of how dark traits can stimulate team-level creativity through cognitive interaction mechanisms and by identifying task interdependence as a boundary condition. Practically, the findings suggest that organizations should recognize the creative potential of Machiavellian leaders in high-interdependence contexts, channel their ambition toward innovation goals, and design workflows that promote cross-understanding and collaboration.