Does the feeling of ability-distrusted motivate employees? Investigating its dual effects on employees’ behaviors and the roles of shame and LMX

Feeling distrusted is a crucial element in trust research. However, previous studies have primarily focused on its negative impact on employees, overlooking its potential positive effects. Drawing on self-regulation theory, we examine how feeling ability-distrusted by supervisors influences employees’ knowledge hiding and deviant innovation. When employees feel ability-distrusted by their supervisors, it can trigger shame, which, in turn, can lead to different behaviors under the motives of repair or protection. Survey data collected from 457 employees in China indicated that shame mediated the relationship between feeling ability-distrusted by supervisors and deviant innovation and knowledge hiding. Furthermore, leader-member exchange positively moderated the association between feeling ability-distrusted by supervisors and shame. This research contributes to the literature on distrust, shame, deviant innovation, knowledge hiding, and LMX and offers practical benefits for trust strategies and employee emotion management.