Harnessing rejection or being hurt by it: emotion regulation in the face of supervisor idea rejection

Abstract

Purpose – Hotel companies increasingly involve frontline employees in service innovation. However, supervisors’ rejection of employee ideas or suggestions is very common, and its subtle yet far-reaching effects have long been overlooked. Drawing on the transactional theory of stress and coping, this study aims to explore the critical role of emotion regulation in shaping employees’ rumination responses and subsequent interactions with customers and family members following supervisor idea rejection. Design/methodology/approach – This study collected two-wave, two-source survey data from 469 frontline employees and 82 supervisors across 7 hotels in China. Hypotheses were tested using multilevel analysis in Mplus 7.4. Findings – Employees with lower emotional regulation are prone to affective rumination following supervisor idea rejection, which diminishes proactive customer service performance (PCSP) and increases work–family conflict. Conversely, employees with higher emotion regulation are inclined toward problem-solving pondering, which enhances PCSP and shows a U-shaped relationship with work–family conflict. Practical implications – Organizations should enhance employees’ emotion regulation abilities and guide managers to provide constructive feedback to mitigate the negative effects of idea rejection. Originality/value – This study reveals the cross-domain spillover effects of supervisor idea rejection, showing how negative emotions stemming from rejection extend beyond employee–supervisor interactions to influence broader work and family roles. It also highlights how individual capabilities can transform negative stimuli into positive outcomes and offers new insights into the complex relationship between problem-solving pondering and work–family conflict.