AUTHOR=Daly John A. , Sætre Alf Steinar 

TITLE=The consequences of face-threatening feedback on innovators’ psychological safety, affect, and willingness to engage in future innovation projects

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1060617

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1060617

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<p>While there is substantial research on how firms successfully end project initiatives deemed unsuitable for them very few studies focus on how leaders and managers communicate termination messages. Drawing from politeness theory and organizational support theory we explore the impact termination messages varying in face sensitivity have on innovators’ feelings of psychological safety, affect, and their willingness to continue to innovate We find that face-threatening messages significantly and negatively affect innovators’ psychological safety, affect, and willingness to further innovate. The negative effects are amplified when innovators feel high commitment to their projects.</p>