This study explores the paradox between creativity and standardization, particularly withincreative industries, in this study the architecture industry, and other industries with a specificfocus on ISO 9001 certification. While standardization is associated with traits such as efficiencyand legitimacy, it can conflict with the creative freedom, flexibility, and autonomy highly valuedin cultural and creative work. Drawing on theories of creativity and institutional frameworks, theresearch examines how attitudes toward standardization vary across roles and industries withdiffering levels of creativity. Through a quantitative approach using survey methodology, thestudy evaluates, besides creativity, the impact of factors such as incitements and implementationprocesses on these attitudes. Results indicate a nuanced relationship, with more negativeperceptions observed among individuals in creative roles compared to those in less creative roles.This research also contributes to understanding how organizations navigate in the paradox offostering creativity while maintaining structured operations. By using an institutional theory lens,this study discovers and explains decoupling strategies used by organizations to handle theconflict between formal and informal routines connected to ISO 9001.