Science Research Management ›› 2022, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (5): 86-93.

Previous Articles     Next Articles

The influence of employees′ innovation behavior on their counterproductive behavior: The role of psychological ownership and moral identity

Qin Xuning1, Zhang Zhixin2, Yan Shiling3   

  1. 1. MBA School, Shandong University of Finance and Economics, Jinan 250014, Shandong, China; 
    2. Shandong Academy of Macroeconomic Research,Jinan 250014, Shandong, China;
    3. School of International Trade and Economics, Shandong University of Finance and Economics, Jinan 250014, Shandong, China
  • Received:2020-02-25 Revised:2020-08-05 Online:2022-05-20 Published:2022-05-20

Abstract:     Employees′ innovation behavior is that they form creative ideas or propose solutions to unconventional problems in their work practice activities, and take the initiative to put them into action to create new products and services. At present, it seems that the organization encourages and praises employee innovation and activates employee innovation behavior, however, employee innovation is always beneficial to the organization. This research argues that previous studies have overemphasized the positive side of innovation behavior and neglected its potential risks, especially the influence mechanism of "innovation-unethical behavior" has not been fully explored and revealed. Hence, previous research ignores the negative effects of employee innovation behavior.
    Based on the self-extended theory, this research brings psychological ownership and moral identity into the relationship between employee innovation behavior and counterproductive behavior and conducts hierarchical regression, reliability and validity test and empirical test utilizing data from 3-time points. This study builds a moderated mediation model in which psychological ownership as a mediator and moral identity as a moderator, reveals the "black box" influential mechanism of innovation behavior on counterproductive behavior.
     The results indicate that employee innovation behavior has a positive impact on their psychological ownership, psychological ownership has a positive effect on counterproductive behavior, psychological ownership plays a mediating role between employee innovation behavior and counterproductive behavior, the relationship between negative moderating of psychological ownership and counterproductive behavior by moral identity, and weaken the indirect effect of psychological ownership between employee innovation behavior and counterproductive behavior. 
    The theoretical contributions of this study are as follows: First, based on self-extended theory, this research explores the impact of employees′ innovation behavior on their counterproductive behavior, subverts the mainstream assumption that employee innovation behavior is always beneficial and harmless to the organization, reveals the "black box" mechanism of "innovation-unethical behavior", and enriches and improves the research results of "innovation-unethical behavior". Second, this research explores the mediating transmission mechanism and boundary conditions of employees′ innovation behavior on their counterproductive behavior, and provides empirical evidence for revealing the mechanism of employees′ innovation behavior and counterproductive behavior. In a word, this research reveals the negative effects of employee innovation behavior, explores its impact mechanism on counterproductive behavior, and enriches the research literature of "Innovation-Unethical Behavior" and theoretical research on psychological ownership and moral identity.
    The practical contributions of this study are as follows: First, organizations need to be aware that employees′ innovation behaviors are not always beneficial. Employees with significant innovation behaviors may not be able to fully meet organizational expectations and comply with norms, even bring harm to the organization. Organization managers should make a more dialectical and comprehensive evaluation of employees with good innovation behaviors, reducing their excessive desire for psychological possession, affirming their contribution of the organization, encouraging them to share knowledge and exchange experience with a more positive, open and shared attitude, integrating their self-worth with the organization as a whole more appropriately, avoiding excellent innovative employees becoming "black sheep". Second, organization managers should guide and cultivate employees′ psychological ownership, help them to realize their rights and responsibilities correctly and use the sense of responsibility of psychological ownership to stimulate employees′ mutual benefit consciousness. Third, leaders construct a more pious and reciprocal relationship between employees and organizations by implementing a series of moral propositions, and further strengthen employees′ loyalty and compliance.

Key words:  innovation behavior, psychological ownership, moral identity, counterproductive behavior