Diminished Relational Energy: How and When Co-worker Incompetence Accusations Hinder Employee Creativity

Jih-Yu Mao; Ye Li; Li Guo; Yujie Shi; Jiang Wang

doi:10.1080/1359432X.2021.1979963

Diminished Relational Energy: How and When Co-worker Incompetence Accusations Hinder Employee Creativity

Jih-Yu Mao
, Ye Li^* (Corresponding Author)
, Li Guo
, Yujie Shi
, Jiang Wang

^*Corresponding author for this work

Southwestern University of Finance and Economics
Nanjing University
Postal Savings Bank of China

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

14 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Drawing upon social support resource theory, this study examines the negative influences of co-worker incompetence accusations on a focal employee’s relational energy and subsequent creativity and the moderating role of servant leadership in mitigating these negative influences. The results of a two-wave, multi-source survey reveal that co-worker incompetence accusations are negatively related to a focal employee’s creativity through decreased relational energy. In addition, servant leadership moderates the negative relationship between co-worker incompetence accusations and creativity through decreased relational energy. Specifically, the indirect relationship is weaker when supervisors demonstrate higher servant leadership. Implications for theory, practice, and future research are discussed.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	383-394
Number of pages	12
Journal	European Journal of Work and Organisational Psychology
Volume	31
Issue number	3
Early online date	24 Sept 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2021.1979963
Publication status	Published - Sept 2021
Externally published	Yes

Data Availability Statement

Data can be obtained upon request from the corresponding author.

Funding

Youth Fund Project of the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Project of the Ministry of Education of China [Grant Number: 20YJC630071]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant Number: 72102040]

Funders	Funder number
Youth Fund Project of the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Project of the Ministry of Education of China	20YJC630071
National Natural Science Foundation of China	72102040

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

Keywords

co-worker incompetence accusations
social support resource theory
relational energy
creativity
servant leadership

Access to Document

10.1080/1359432X.2021.1979963Licence: Unspecified

Cite this

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title = "Diminished Relational Energy: How and When Co-worker Incompetence Accusations Hinder Employee Creativity",

abstract = "Drawing upon social support resource theory, this study examines the negative influences of co-worker incompetence accusations on a focal employee{\textquoteright}s relational energy and subsequent creativity and the moderating role of servant leadership in mitigating these negative influences. The results of a two-wave, multi-source survey reveal that co-worker incompetence accusations are negatively related to a focal employee{\textquoteright}s creativity through decreased relational energy. In addition, servant leadership moderates the negative relationship between co-worker incompetence accusations and creativity through decreased relational energy. Specifically, the indirect relationship is weaker when supervisors demonstrate higher servant leadership. Implications for theory, practice, and future research are discussed.",

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AU - Guo, Li

AU - Shi, Yujie

AU - Wang, Jiang

PY - 2021/9

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N2 - Drawing upon social support resource theory, this study examines the negative influences of co-worker incompetence accusations on a focal employee’s relational energy and subsequent creativity and the moderating role of servant leadership in mitigating these negative influences. The results of a two-wave, multi-source survey reveal that co-worker incompetence accusations are negatively related to a focal employee’s creativity through decreased relational energy. In addition, servant leadership moderates the negative relationship between co-worker incompetence accusations and creativity through decreased relational energy. Specifically, the indirect relationship is weaker when supervisors demonstrate higher servant leadership. Implications for theory, practice, and future research are discussed.

AB - Drawing upon social support resource theory, this study examines the negative influences of co-worker incompetence accusations on a focal employee’s relational energy and subsequent creativity and the moderating role of servant leadership in mitigating these negative influences. The results of a two-wave, multi-source survey reveal that co-worker incompetence accusations are negatively related to a focal employee’s creativity through decreased relational energy. In addition, servant leadership moderates the negative relationship between co-worker incompetence accusations and creativity through decreased relational energy. Specifically, the indirect relationship is weaker when supervisors demonstrate higher servant leadership. Implications for theory, practice, and future research are discussed.

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KW - servant leadership

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DO - 10.1080/1359432X.2021.1979963

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JO - European Journal of Work and Organisational Psychology

JF - European Journal of Work and Organisational Psychology

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ER -

Diminished Relational Energy: How and When Co-worker Incompetence Accusations Hinder Employee Creativity

Abstract

Data Availability Statement

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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