Abusive supervision and innovation performance: The role of organization-based self-esteem and deep acting

Using social identity theory as a basis, this study analyzed how and when abusive supervision affects employees’ innovation performance. We collected data from 355 full-time employees and used path analysis and the bootstrapping method to test four hypotheses. The results showed that abusive supervision had a negative relationship with employee innovation performance, and organization-based self-esteem mediated this relationship. Deep acting played a moderating role in the relationship between abusive supervision and organization-based self-esteem, and it also moderated the mediating effect of organization-based self-esteem on the link between abusive supervision and employee innovation performance. The findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of how abusive supervision undermines employees’ innovative behavior, and offer practical implications for organizations seeking to reduce the negative consequences of abusive leadership and enhance employees’ innovation performance.