Can the Dark Side of Employee Innovative Behavior Be Mitigated by Frequency of Supervisor Interaction? Analyzing the Moderated Mediation of Envy and Ostracism Through Frequency of Supervisor Interaction

TL;DR

This paper explores how frequent supervisor interactions can reduce the negative social effects of employee innovation, such as envy and ostracism.

Contribution

The study introduces a novel moderated mediation model showing how supervisor interaction frequency alters the social consequences of innovative behavior.

Findings

Low supervisor interaction frequency leads to increased envy and ostracism from innovative behavior.

High supervisor interaction frequency reduces envy and prevents ostracism caused by innovation.

The negative effects of innovation are context-dependent, not inherent.

Abstract

While innovative behavior is essential for organizational success, recent studies have highlighted its potential dark side, namely triggering envy and ostracism among coworkers. However, we propose that these negative outcomes are contingent on the organizational context, particularly on the frequency of supervisor interactions. Using multi-wave data from 392 South Korean employees, we demonstrate that the frequency of supervisor interaction fundamentally alters the social impact of innovative behavior. Our findings reveal a striking pattern: When frequency of supervisor interaction is low, innovative behavior indeed triggers the predicted dark side—increasing ostracism through heightened envy. However, when frequency of supervisor interaction is high, this relationship reverses—innovative behavior reduces ostracism by suppressing envy. This moderated mediation effect suggests that the dark side of innovation is not inherent but context-depenent. We theorize that high-frequency supervisor interaction transforms innovative behavior from a competitive threat to a collective asset. These findings challenge deterministic views of creativity’s social costs and highlight the critical role of leadership in shaping how innovation is interpreted and responded to within organizations.

Figures