上司创意拒绝、知识型员工离散情绪与趋避行为——基于情绪认知评价理论视角

Research on Supervisor Idea Rejection, Discrete Emotion and Approach-avoidance Behavior of Knowledge Worker: Based on Cognitive Appraisal Theory of Emotions

本研究基于情绪认知评价理论,旨在探究上司创意拒绝对知识型员工离散情绪和趋避行为的影响机制及创意拒绝归因的边界条件作用。基于一项多时点回顾式问卷调查和两项情境实验,研究发现:(1)上司创意拒绝对知识型员工人际偏离、工作退缩和自我改善均存在显著正向影响;(2)知识型员工愤怒情绪中介创意拒绝对人际偏离和工作退缩的影响,焦虑情绪中介创意拒绝对工作退缩和自我改善的影响,羞愧情绪中介创意拒绝对自我改善的影响;(3)创意拒绝归因调节上司创意拒绝对知识型员工愤怒和羞愧情绪的直接作用,以及通过愤怒和羞愧情绪对趋避行为的间接作用。具体而言,当员工对创意拒绝做出“对人不对事”消极归因时,更易触发愤怒情绪,此时创意拒绝通过愤怒对人际偏离和工作退缩的间接作用更强;相比之下,当员工做出“对事不对人”积极归因时,更易触发羞愧情绪,此时创意拒绝通过羞愧对自我改善的间接作用更强。

In the era of digital economy,the creativity of knowledge workers is the prerequisite and foundation for enterprises to form new ideas,develop new technologies,develop new products,and launch new services.However,due to limitations in innovative resources,decision-making processes,and risk factors,most knowledge workers fail to receive support from their superiors and put their creativity on hold,resulting in a widespread idea rejection in organizational innovation practices.Existing studies only focus on the negative impact of idea rejection on the subsequent creativity of knowledge workers,while neglecting the differentiated behavioral responses of employees after experiencing idea rejection.Whether employees respond positively or negatively to it when ideas are rejected?What are the driving mechanisms and boundary conditions for their different responses?Existing research has not yet provided clear theoretical explanations.According to the cognitive appraisal theory of emotions,this study aims to explore the mechanism of supervisor idea rejection on discrete emotions and approach-avoidance behaviors of knowledge workers,as well as the boundary condition effect of them.Based on a multi-wave retrospect self-reported questionnaire investigation and two event-based scenario experiments,the empirical re-search draws the following conclusions.Firstly,supervisor idea rejection has a significant positive impact on interpersonal deviance,workplace withdrawal and self-improvement of knowledge workers.Secondly,knowledge workers’anger mediates the impact of su-pervisor idea rejection on interpersonal deviance and workplace withdrawal,anxiety mediates the impact of supervisor idea rejection on workplace withdrawal and self-improvement,and shame mediates the impact of supervisor idea rejection on self-improvement.Finally,attribution of supervisor idea rejection moderates the direct effect of supervisor idea rejection on anger and shame of knowl-edge workers and the indirect effect of supervisor idea rejection on their approach-avoidance behavior through anger and shame.Specifically,when knowledge workers make negative attribution of“being wrong with people rather than things”to supervisor idea rejection,anger is more likely to be triggered.At this time,supervisor idea rejection has a stronger indirect effect on interpersonal deviance and work withdrawal through anger.In contrast,when knowledge workers make positive attribution of“being wrong about things rather than people”,they are more likely to trigger shame.At this time,supervisor idea rejection has a stronger indirect effect on self-improvement through shame.Compared to previous studies,the potential innovative contributions of this study are as follows.Firstly,it enriches the theoretical research on leadership factors in the field of creativity from a negative perspective.Unlike negative leadership behaviors such as abusive supervision that hinder employees’creative efforts,this study found that superior idea rejection can lead to interpersonal de-viance,workplace withdrawal,and self-improvement of knowledge workers,thus enriching the theoretical research on negative lead-ership factors in the creative process.Secondly,it reveals the underlying emotional mechanism of the impact of superior idea rejection on the approach-avoidance behavior of knowledge workers.Existing research is mainly based on social cognitive theory to reveal the mechanism of creative self-efficacy in the relationship between idea rejection and creative generation.However,this study systemati-cally elucidates the motivations behind employee approach-avoidance behavior from an emotional perspective,thereby expanding the theory of emotional cognitive evaluation and the social functional view of discrete emotions.Thirdly,the boundary conditions for the impact of idea rejection on the emotions and behaviors of knowledge workers have been clarified.Existing research cannot explain when idea rejection leads to different discrete emotions and behavioral responses among employees.This study found that when em-ployees attribute idea rejection to intentional harm from their superiors,it can trigger strong anger and lead to destructive behavior.In contrast,when employees attribute idea rejection to objective and fair evaluations from their superiors,it can trigger strong feelings of shame,leading to constructive behavior.This study not only helps to understand under what circumstances superior idea rejection leads to constructive or destructive behavior by subordinates,but also provides theoretical basis and decision-making guidance for management practices such as cultivating an atmosphere,emotional recovery,and attribution reshaping to alleviate the negative effects of idea rejection.