Frontline employees’ impression management strategies after engaging in constructive deviant behavior: A leader-centric perspective

Abstract

While previous research has achieved consensus on the benefits of constructive deviant behavior within the hospitality industry and has proposed various solutions to promote this behavior, there remains a gap in understanding what frontline employees do after engaging in constructive deviant behavior. Drawing on impression management theory, we established a model in which constructive deviant behavior impacts feedback-seeking behavior (FSB) and defensive silence (DS). Study 1 used scenario manipulations to examine the mediation effect of Leader–member exchange (LMX) ambivalence linking constructive deviant behavior with FSB and DS. Study 2, a survey of 362 frontline employees from 11 hotels, revealed that constructive deviant behavior was positively related to LMX ambivalence and that LMX ambivalence mediated the relationship between constructive deviant behavior and actor's FSB and DS. We also found that proactive personality positively moderated the impact of LMX ambivalence on FSB. We discussed the theoretical and practical implications of our findings.