Supervisor-subordinate Guanxi and Employee Innovative Behavior: The Moderating Role of Formalization

Abstract

In the era of increasingly standardized organizational management, how do Chinese supervisor-subordinate guanxi influence employee innovative behavior? Based on social cognitive theory, this study explores the mechanism by which supervisor-subordinate guanxi and formalization interact to influence employee innovative behaviors. The results of 252 questionnaire studies indicated that there are significant positive relationships between supervisor-subordinate guanxi, psychological empowerment, and employee innovative behavior. Moreover, it is expected that psychological empowerment plays a fully mediating role in the relationships between supervisor-subordinate guanxi and employee innovative behavior. Formalization moderates the relationship between the supervisor-subordinate guanxi and psychological empowerment. This study explores the relationship between Chinese supervisor-subordinate guanxi and employee innovative behavior, which enriches the research of localization innovation theory and provides insights for companies to build organic organizations by controlling formalization and exerting the catalytic effect of supervisor-subordinate guanxi on employee innovative behavior through psychological perceptions.