Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

How Does Abusive Supervision Influence Employee’s Sustainable Innovation Behavior: The Moderating Effect of Psychological Empowerment?

  • Published:
Journal of the Knowledge Economy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Employees’ continuous innovation behavior is essential for enterprises to achieve industrial upgrading, digital transformation, and service outsourcing. This study attempts to understand the interaction between organizational commitment, psychological empowerment, abuse management, continuous innovation behavior, and the employees’ continued innovation behavior tendency in the context of social identity theory. A snowball sampling method was used to collect customer data from 366 people working in the information technology industry in China from January 10 to March 8, 2022. This paper analyzes the theoretical model of abusive management on employees’ continuous innovation behavior. The results show that abusive supervision has a negative impact on organizational commitment. Second, organizational commitment intermediates abusive supervision and employees’ innovative behavior. Third, psychological empowerment mediates the perspective of the relationship between abusive management, organizational commitment, and employees’ sustainable innovation behavior. This study’s contribution to the literature on social identity theory is to expand power identity and background field on the technology acceptance model 4 in centralized management in China and improve employees’ continuous innovation behavior. It guides the enhancement of employees’ self-efficacy and managers’ ability to communicate and perform operationally, promoting economic growth.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahmad, I., & Begum, K. (2020). Impact of abusive supervision on intention to leave: A moderated mediation model of organizational-based self-esteem and emotional exhaustion. Asian Business Management Decision, 1–20.

  • Aliender, A., & Esrabulgurcu, G. (2015). Effects of leader–member exchange and perceived organizational support on organizational innovation: The case of Denizli Technopark. Procedia-Social Behavioral Sciences, 207, 175–181.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ampofo, E. T., Ampofo, C., Nkrumah, S., et al. (2022). The effect of supervisor’s abuse on hotel employees’ job satisfaction, affective organizational commitment and work engagement. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality Tourism Management Perspectives, 34, 1–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrés, A. R., Asongu, S. A., & Amavilah, V. (2015). The impact of formal institutions on the knowledge economy. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 6, 1034–1062.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arain, G. A., Bhatti, Z. A., Hameed, I., et al. (2022). A meta-analysis of the nomological network of knowledge hiding in organizations. Personnel Psychology, 34, 78–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arshad, A., Sun, P. Y., & Desmarais, F. (2021). Abusive supervision and employee empowerment: The moderating role of resilience and workplace friendship. Journal of Leadership Organizational Studies, 28, 479–494.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asurakkody, T. A., & Kim, S. H. (2020). Effects of knowledge sharing behavior on innovative work behavior among nursing students: Mediating role of Self-leadership. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 12, 100190.

  • Atamba, C., Popelnukha, A., & Ibrahim, F. L. (2020). Awe guards my creativity: The interactive effect of perceived abusive supervisory behavior, dispositional awe, and creative self-efficacy on Chinese employee creativity. Frontiers in Sociology, 5, 51–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Azeem, M. M., Abrar, M., Bashir, M., et al. (2015). Impact of organizational justice and psychological empowerment on perceived organizational performance: The mediating role of organizational citizenship behavior. American Journal of Industrial Business Management, 5, 272–321.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (2014). Social cognitive theory of moral thought and action. Handbook of moral behavior and development. Psychology Press, 69–128.

  • Bani-Melhem, S., Quratulain, S., & Al-Hawari, M. A. (2021). Does employee resilience exacerbate the effects of abusive supervision? A study of frontline employees’ self-esteem, turnover intention, and innovative behaviors. Urinal of Hospitality Marketing Management, 30, 611–629.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhattacharjee, A., & Sarkar, A. (2022). Abusive supervision: A systematic literature review. Management Review Quarterly, 34, 1–34.

  • Birtch, T. A., Chiang, F. F., & Van Esch, E. (2016). A social exchange theory framework for understanding the job characteristics–job outcomes relationship: The mediating role of psychological contract fulfillment. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 27, 1217–1236.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bordia, P., Restubog, S. L. D., Bordia, S., et al. (2017). Effects of resource availability on social exchange relationships: The case of employee psychological contract obligations. Journal of Management, 43, 1447–1471.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bormann, K. C. (2017). Linking daily ethical leadership to followers’ daily behavior: The roles of daily work engagement and previous abusive supervision. European Journal of Work Organizational Psychology, 26, 590–600.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bormann, K. C., & Gellatly, I. R. (2021). It’s only abusive if I care: The effect of organizational concern on abusive supervision, stress, and work behaviors. Journal of Personnel Psychology, 56, 78–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burton, J. P., & Hoobler, J. M. (2011). Aggressive reactions to abusive supervision: The role of interactional justice and narcissism. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 52, 389–398.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cai, Y., Sun, F., & Li, J. (2023). Following the abusive leader? When and how abusive supervision influences victim’s creativity through observers. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 34, 1–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Callea, A., Urbini, F., Ingusci, E., et al. (2016). The relationship between contract type and job satisfaction in a mediated moderation model: The role of job insecurity and psychological contract violation. Economic Industrial Democracy, 37, 399–420.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang, W.-J., Liao, S.-H., Lee, Y.-J., et al. (2015). Organizational commitment, knowledge sharing, and organizational citizenship behavior: The case of the Taiwanese semiconductor industry. Knowledge Management Research Practice, 13, 299–310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chaudhry, A., & Tekleab, A. G. (2013). A social exchange model of psychological contract fulfillment: Where do promises, expectations, LMX, and POS fit in? Organization Management Journal, 10, 158–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, L., Ye, Z., Shafait, Z., et al. (2022). The effect of abusive supervision on employee creativity: The mediating role of negative affect and moderating role of interpersonal harmony. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 796–855.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, S.-H. (2016). The influencing factors of enterprise sustainable innovation: An empirical study. Sustainability, 8, 425–465.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, Y., Zhang, J., Liu, C.-E., et al. (2021). Work-related identity discrepancy and employee innovation behavior: The role of intrinsic motivation and self-construal. Chinese Management Studies, 15, 1143–1156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chiang, H. H., Han, T. S., & Chuang, J. S. (2011). The relationship between high-commitment HRM and knowledge-sharing behavior and its mediators. International Journal of Manpower, 34, 56–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chiru, M., & Gherghina, S. (2019). Committee chair selection under high informational and organizational constraints. Party Politics, 25, 547–558.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi, W., Kim, S. L., & Yun, S. (2019). A social exchange perspective of abusive supervision and knowledge sharing: Investigating the moderating effects of psychological contract fulfillment and self-enhancement motive. Journal of Business Psychology, 34, 305–319.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coetzer, A., Inma, C., Poisat, P., et al. (2018). Job embeddedness and employee enactment of innovation-related work behaviors. International Journal of Manpower, 39, 222–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cunningham, E., & Wang, W. (2005). Using AMOS graphics to enhance the understanding and communication of multiple regression. Structural Equation Modelling: Application for Research Practice, 55, 56–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dennerlein, T., & Kirkman, B. L. (2023). The forgotten side of empowering others: How lower social structural empowerment attenuates the effects of empowering leadership on employee psychological empowerment and performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 12, 12–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erkutlu, H., & Chafra, J. (2013). Effects of trust and psychological contract violation on authentic leadership and organizational deviance. Management Research Review, 36(9), 828–848.

  • Ewalds, A.-P. (2017). The implementation of an organizational committee for patient engagement in the context of mental health: A case study.

  • Faisal, M., Abbas, Z., & Hussain, I. (2020). Corporate social responsibility and employees’ negative behaviors under abusive supervision: A multilevel insight. Sustainability, 12, 26–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Faldetta, G. (2021). Abusive supervision and workplace deviance: The role of negative reciprocity. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 29, 935–949.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fan, J., Su, J., & Sindakis, S. (2023). Customer need knowledge facilitates market opportunity recognition through absorptive capacity and technological expertise: Evidence from the IT sector in China. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 89, 1–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Festing, M., & Schäfer, L. (2014). Generational challenges to talent management: A framework for talent retention based on the Journal of World Business The psychological-contract perspective. Journal of World Business, 49, 262–271. 

  • Fiset, J., Robinson, M. A., & Saffie-Robertson, M. C. (2019). Masking wrongs through brilliance: The moderating effect of vision on the relationship between abusive supervision and employee outcomes. European Journal of Work Organizational Psychology, 28, 756–768.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giacomino, A., Abollino, O., Malandrino, M., et al. (2011). The role of chemometrics in single and sequential extraction assays: A Review. Part II. Cluster analysis, multiple linear regression, mixture resolution, experimental design, and other techniques. Analytica Chimica Acta, 688, 122–139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grosser, T. J., Venkataramani, V., & Labianca, G. J. (2017). An alter-centric perspective on employee innovation: The importance of alters’ creative self-efficacy and network structure. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102, 13–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gul, R. F., Dunnan, L., Jamil, K., et al. (2021). Abusive supervision and its impact on knowledge hiding behavior among sales force. Frontiers in Psychology, 56, 61–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo, Z., Yan, J., Wang, X., et al. (2020). Ambidextrous leadership and employee work outcomes: A paradox theory perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1661–1778.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, S., Nawaz, N., Tripathi, A., et al. (2022). Impact of inclusive leadership on innovation performance during coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak: Mediating role of employee innovation behavior and moderating role of psychological empowerment. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 111–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Han, G. H., Harms, P. D., & Bai, Y. (2017). Nightmare bosses: The impact of abusive supervision on employees’ sleep, emotions, and creativity. Journal of Business Ethics, 145, 21–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hancer, M., George, R. T., & Kim, B. (2005). An examination of dimensions of psychological empowerment scale for service employees. Psychological Reports, 97, 667–672.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He, P.-X., Wu, T.-J., Zhao, H.-D., et al. (2019). How can employees be motivated to sustain innovation behavior in job stressors? A cross-level analysis of organizational innovation climate. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 46–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holman, D., Totterdell, P., Axtell, C., et al. (2012). Job design and the employee innovation process: The mediating role of learning strategies. Journal of Business Psychology, 27, 177–191.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsu, M. L., & Chen, F. H. (2017). The cross-level mediating effect of psychological capital on the organizational innovation climate–employee innovative behavior relationship. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 51, 128–139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, B., & Zhao, Y. (2016). Creative self-efficacy mediates the relationship between knowledge sharing and employee innovation. Social Behavior Personality: An International Journal, 44, 815–826.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hussain, I., & Sia, S. K. (2017). Power distance orientation dilutes the effect of abusive supervision on workplace deviance. Management Labour Studies, 42, 293–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iqbal, Q., Ahmad, N. H., Nasim, A., et al. (2020). A moderated-mediation analysis of psychological empowerment: Sustainable leadership and sustainable performance. Journal of Cleaner Production, 262, 121–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ivanova, I. A., & Leydesdorff, L. (2014). Rotational symmetry and the transformation of innovation systems in a Triple Helix of university–industry–government relations. Technological Forecasting Social Change, 86, 143–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs, E. J., & Roodt, G. (2011). The mediating effect of knowledge sharing between organizational culture and turnover intentions of professional nurses. South African Journal of Information Management, 13, 1–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeong, C. Y., & Hong, A. J. (2023). Career adaptability and mediated social network process linking achievement goal orientation to behavior. Journal of Employment Counseling, 60, 89–103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang, W., Gu, Q., & Tang, T.L.-P. (2019). Do victims of supervisor bullying suffer from poor creativity? Social cognitive and social comparison perspectives. Journal of Business Ethics, 157, 865–884.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, W. (2020). The Coronavirus crisis in B2B settings: Crisis uniqueness and managerial implications based on social exchange theory. Industrial Marketing Management, 88, 125–135.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karassin, O., & Barhaim, A. (2019). How regulation affects corporate social responsibility: Corporate environmental performance under different regulatory scenarios. World Political Science, 15, 25–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khaddam, A. A., Alzghoul, A., Khawaldeh, K., et al. (2023). How spiritual leadership influences creative behaviors: The mediating role of workplace climate. International Journal of Professional Business Review, 8, e01106–e01106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kiazad, K., Seibert, S. E., & Kraimer, M. L. (2014). Psychological contract breach and employee innovation: A conservation of resources perspective. Journal of Occupational Organizational Psychology, 87, 535–556.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kittikunchotiwut, P. (2017). The effects of organizational justice on organizational citizenship behavior. Review of Integrative Business Economics Research, 6, 116–121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koay, Y., Lim, K., Soh, P., et al. (2022). Abusive supervision and cyberloafing: A moderated moderation model of moral disengagement and negative reciprocity beliefs. Information Management Decision, 59, 103–321.

  • Kock, N. (2017). Common method bias: A complete collinearity assessment method for PLS-SEM. Partial Least Squares Path Modeling: Basic Concepts, Methodological Issues Applications, 45, 245–257.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kraimer, M. L., Seibert, S. E., Wayne, S. J., et al. (2011). Antecedents and outcomes of organizational support for development: The critical role of career opportunities. Journal of Applied Psychology, 96, 485–467.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, W.-R., Kang, S.-W., & Choi, S. B. (2022). Abusive supervision and employee's creative performance: A serial mediation model of relational conflict and employee silence. Behavioral Sciences, 12, 156–166.

  • Liang, Z., Suntrayuth, S., Sun, X., et al. (2023). Positive verbal rewards, creative self-efficacy, and creative behavior: A perspective of cognitive appraisal theory. Behavioral Sciences, 13, 229–300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lyu, D., Ji, L., Zheng, Q., et al. (2019). Abusive supervision and turnover intention: Mediating effects of nurses’ psychological empowerment. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 6, 198–203.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malik, O. F., Shahzad, A., Waheed, A., et al. (2020). Abusive supervision as a trigger of malevolent creativity: Do the Light Triad traits matter? Leadership Organization Development Journal, 41, 1119–1137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miguel, M. C., Ornelas, J. H., & Maroco, J. P. (2015). Defining psychological empowerment construct: Analysis of three empowerment scales. Journal of Community Psychology, 43, 900–919.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mn, Mcfadyen, & Cannellajr, A. A. (2004). Social capital and knowledge creation: Diminishing returns of the number and strength of exchange relationships. Academy of Management Journal, 47, 735–746.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohsin, M., Shagufta, S., & Stuart, O. (2021). Agile practices and performance: Examining the role of psychological empowerment. International Journal of Project Management, 3439, 10–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montani, F., & Staglianò, R. (2022). Innovation in times of pandemic: The moderating effect of knowledge sharing on the relationship between COVID-19-induced job stress and employee innovation. R D Management, 52, 193–205.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mora, C., & Wesley, J. (2020). The Coronavirus crisis in B2B settings: Crisis uniqueness and managerial implications based on social exchange theory. Industrial Marketing Management, 88, 125–135.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen, B., Yu, X., Melewar, T., et al. (2015). Brand innovation and social media: Knowledge acquisition from social media, market orientation, and the moderating role of social media strategic capability. Industrial Marketing Management, 51, 11–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niu, C., Meng, X., & Xiang, F. (2022). The double-edged sword effect of paradoxical leadership to organizational citizenship behavior. Psychology Research Behavior Management, 45, 2513–2527.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Noordzij, G., Giel, L., & van Mierlo, H. (2021). A meta-analysis of induced achievement goals: The moderating effects of goal standard and goal framing. Social Psychology of Education, 24, 195–245.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ong, M. H. A., & Puteh, F. (2017). Quantitative data analysis: Choosing between SPSS, PLS, and AMOS in social science research. International Interdisciplinary Journal of Scientific Research, 3, 14–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pereznieto, P., & Taylor, G. (2014). A review of approaches and methods to measure economic empowerment of women and girls. Gender Development, 22, 233–251.

  • Prime, J., Otterman, M., & Salib, E. R. (2014) Engaging men through inclusive leadership. Gender in organizations. Edward Elgar Publishing, 385–404.

  • Ramanathan, R., He, Q., Black, A., et al. (2017). Environmental regulations, innovation and firm performance: A revisit of the Porter hypothesis. Journal of Cleaner Production, 155, 79–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rasheed, M. A., Shahzad, K., & Nadeem, S. (2021). Transformational leadership and employee voice for product and process innovation in SMEs. Innovation Management Review, 18, 69–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rice, D. B., Taylor, R., & Forrester, J. K. (2020). The unwelcoming experience of abusive supervision and the impact of leader characteristics: Turning employees into poor organizational citizens and future quitters. European Journal of Work Organizational Psychology, 29, 601–618.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ronen, S., & Donia, M. B. (2020). Stifling my fire: The impact of abusive supervision on employees’ motivation and ensuing outcomes at work. Revista de Psicología del Trabajo y de las Organizaciones, 36, 205–214.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saadi, M., & Pahlavani, N. (2013). The effect of social capital on knowledge creation in Petrochemical Industry. Management Science Letters, 3, 879–884.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwarz, A., Rizzuto, T., Carraher-Wolverton, C., et al. (2017). Examining the impact and detection of the “urban legend” of common method bias. Acm Sigmis Database: The Data Base for Advances in Information Systems, 48, 93–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sehgal, R., Balasubramanian, S., Sreejith, S., et al. (2021). Transformational leadership and employee innovation: Examining the congruence of leader and follower perceptions. Journal of General Management, 47, 18–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shogren, K. A., Kennedy, W., Dowsett, C., et al. (2014). Autonomy, psychological empowerment, and self-realization: Exploring data on self-determination from NLTS2. Exceptional Children, 80, 221–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tepper, B. J. (2000). Consequences of abusive supervision. Academy of Management Journal, 43, 178–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tepper, B. J. (2007). Abusive supervision in work organizations: Review, synthesis, and research agenda. Journal of Management, 33, 261–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tepper, B. J., Duffy, M. K., & Shaw, J. D. (2001). Personality moderators of the relationship between abusive supervision and subordinates’ resistance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 974.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tepper, B. J., Simon, L., & Park, H. M. (2017). Abusive supervision. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology Organizational Behavior, 4, 123–152.

  • Tresi, D. G., & Mihelič, K. K. (2020). Going the extra mile: Perceived self-efficacy, family-work enrichment, promotion focus, and organisational citizenship behaviour. Društvena istraživanja, 29, 599–619.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Uner, S., & Turan, S. (2010). The construct validity and reliability of the Turkish version of Spreitzer’s psychological empowerment scale. BMC Public Health, 10, 1–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xue, B., Zhang, Z., & Li, P. (2020). Corporate environmental performance, environmental management and firm risk. Business Strategy the Environment, 29, 1074–1096.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, J.-H., Lin, C.-C., Fang, S.-C., et al. (2019). An uncertainty management theory on the effects of abusive supervision: The moderating role of future orientation. Management Decision, 57, 3079–3095.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ye, P., Liu, L., & Tan, J. (2023). The influence of organisational justice and ethical leadership on employees’ innovation behaviour. European Journal of Innovation Management, 26, 1129–1149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, W., Jex, S. M., Peng, Y., et al. (2017). Exploring the effects of job autonomy on engagement and creativity: The moderating role of performance pressure and learning goal orientation. Journal of Business Psychology, 32, 235–251.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zimmerman, M. A., Israel, B. A., Schulz, A., et al. (1992). Further explorations in empowerment theory: An empirical analysis of psychological empowerment. American Journal of Community Psychology, 20, 707–727.

  • Zhu, J., & Zhang, B. (2019). The double-edged sword effect of abusive supervision on subordinates’ innovative behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 66–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Krirk University, International College, Bangkok, 10220, Thailand

    Jiafu Su

  2. Wuyi University, School of Business, WuYishan, 354300, China

    Wenjing Ke

Authors
  1. Wenjing Ke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jiafu Su
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jiafu Su.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ke, W., Su, J. How Does Abusive Supervision Influence Employee’s Sustainable Innovation Behavior: The Moderating Effect of Psychological Empowerment?. J Knowl Econ (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-024-01968-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-024-01968-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation