Abstract
Invention, unlike creativity, unfolds under tighter technical, legal, and commercial constraints; it is evaluative, execution-oriented, and goal-directed rather than exploratory or purely generative. Building on this distinction, we examine how personality traits relate to inventive output and how these relationships depend on the organisational knowledge environment. Drawing on the Five-Factor Model (FFM), we argue that openness and agreeableness are positively associated with invention, whereas extraversion, neuroticism, and conscientiousness are negatively related to inventive activity. We further propose that Organisational Knowledge Diversification (OKD), the breadth of technological domains within a firm's patent portfolio, plays a dual moderating role. While high OKD expands recombination opportunities, it also increases cognitive and coordination demands. Using survey data from 1,131 inventors matched with European Patent Office records, we find support for differentiated patterns of how OKDs shape the relationship between personality and inventive activity.