Research on the Influence Mechanism of Supervisors' Developmental Feedback on the Deviant Innovation of Science and Technology Employees: Dual Perspectives Based on Cognition and Emotion

Abstract

As a kind of innovation that can bring breakthrough technologies or products, deviant innovation is regarded as an important force to promote scientific and technological innovation and industrial upgrading, and how to effectively drive technological employees to conduct deviant innovative behaviors has become a hot issue for managers. Supervisor developmental feedback, an emerging feedback form to realize employees' potential, has attracted the attention of practitioners and academics, but the influence mechanism of supervisor developmental feedback on technological employees' deviant innovation has not been clarified. Based on Pygmalion's theory, signaling theory, role theory, and broaden-and-build theory, we construct a cross-level influence model of supervisors' developmental feedback on deviant innovation among technological employees to better identify how supervisors' developmental feedback affects deviant innovation and to investigate its mechanism and boundary conditions. After the empirical analysis of paired data from 291 supervisors and subordinates, we found thatSupervisor developmental feedback significantly and positively affects employee deviant innovation. Role clarity and positive emotions partially mediate the relationship between supervisor developmental feedback and employee deviant innovation. Job crafting positively moderates the relationship between role clarity, positive emotions, and employee deviant innovation. Job crafting positively moderates the mediating role of role clarity and positive emotions.