UNDERSTANDING INNOVATION DECLINE: A MODERATED MEDIATION MODEL OF PERCEIVED ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT AND INTERNAL
Abstract
The present study examines the impact of workplace bullying on employees’ innovative work behavior (IWB), highlighting the mediating role of perceived organizational support (POS) and the moderating role of internal locus of control (ILC). Drawing on the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, data were gathered using a structured questionnaire from 336 employees in public sector banks of Pakistan. Structural equation modeling was used for analysis. Results show that workplace bullying significantly reduces both innovative work behavior and perceived organizational support. Employees who experience bullying feel unsupported and demoralized, which limits their creativity and willingness to propose new ideas. Conversely, higher levels of perceived support from the organization are positively associated with increased innovative behavior. POS partially mediates the relationship between bullying and IWB, indicating that support acts as a buffer. However, the moderating effect of ILC was found to be statistically insignificant, suggesting that personal resilience alone does not reduce the negative impact of bullying on perceived support. The findings highlight the importance of fostering a supportive work environment to mitigate the damaging effects of bullying and promote innovation. Organizations should implement strong anti-bullying policies, encourage open communication, and provide psychological support systems. While individual traits like ILC are valuable, systemic organizational efforts play a more critical role in protecting employee creativity and well-being. This study contributes to workplace psychology literature by clarifying how bullying affects innovation and the mechanisms that mediate or fail to moderate this relationship in the Pakistani context.
Keywords: Workplace Bullying, Internal Locus of Control, Perceived Organizational Support, Innovative Work Behavior, Conservation of Resource Theory.
