Impact of supervisor developmental feedback on employee innovative behavior: roles of psychological safety and face orientation
Journal of Managerial Psychology
ISSN: 0268-3946
Article publication date: 22 November 2022
Issue publication date: 26 January 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on social cognitive theory, this study aims to examine the relationship between supervisor developmental feedback and employee innovative behavior, incorporating with the mediating role of psychological safety and the moderating role of face orientation.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey was conducted in 15 manufacturing companies in China. The participants comprised 302 employees. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. The mediating effects and the moderated mediating effects are further examined with bias-corrected bootstrapping method.
Findings
Supervisor developmental feedback has a positive effect on employee innovative behavior through psychological safety, and this mediating effect is weakened by protective face orientation (fear of losing face), while the moderating effect of acquisitive face orientation (desire to gain face) is not significant.
Practical implications
Organizations should create a development-oriented and safe innovation atmosphere for employees. In addition, leaders should adopt differentiated feedback and communication methods according to subordinates' face orientation.
Originality/value
The study has demonstrated the positive effect of supervisor developmental feedback on employee innovative behavior, which is different from previous studies on performance feedback and leadership types. Meanwhile, this study has also explored the mediating effect of psychological safety and the moderating effect of face orientation, which provides more insights on the mechanism and boundary conditions of the effect of supervisor developmental feedback.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by Philosophy and Social Science Planning Projects of Zhejiang Province (21NDJC062YB), National Natural Science Foundation of China (72101233), Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (LQ22G020006) and Fundamental Research Funds of Zhejiang Sci-Tech University (2021Q063).
Citation
Cai, L., Xiao, Z. and Ji, X. (2023), "Impact of supervisor developmental feedback on employee innovative behavior: roles of psychological safety and face orientation", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 38 No. 1, pp. 73-87. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-12-2021-0670
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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