Interpersonal consequences of employee innovation behavior
Author Identifier (ORCID)
Irene E. De Pater: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9578-9638
Edward Wray-Bliss: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5575-7754
Abstract
Existing research highlights how leadership fosters employee innovation. Less is known, however, about how supervisors react to innovative subordinates. Drawing on social comparison theory and interpersonal interaction theory, we examine the role of employee innovative behavior in eliciting supervisor envy and shaping subsequent behavioral responses. Specifically, we propose that highly innovative employees elicit envy from their supervisors and, in turn, experience more abusive supervision when both they and their supervisors are highly extraverted. In contrast, when highly innovative employees are extraverted, but their envious supervisors are not, we propose that they are more likely to experience supportive supervision. We tested our hypotheses using data from a three-wave field study among 237 unique supervisor–subordinate dyads in high-tech companies in China. Path analysis confirmed the proposed relationships, demonstrating the complex interplay between envy, personality, and supervisor responses to employee innovation. These findings enhance our understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying supervisor-subordinate interactions and provide valuable insights into how supervisors respond to employee innovation. They contribute to research on envy, personality, and leader behavior.
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2025
Publication Title
Journal of Business and Psychology
Publisher
Springer
School
School of Business and Law
RAS ID
88155
Funders
National Natural Science Foundation of China (72102123, 72502037) / Liaoning Provincial Department of Education Youth Project (76)
Copyright
subscription content
Comments
Wang, S., De Pater, I. E., Yi, M., & Wray-Bliss, E. (2025). Interpersonal consequences of employee innovation behavior. Journal of Business and Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-025-10077-w