Embedding Bootlegging in Team Culture Tightness: Is Innovation from Coworkers a Blessing or a Curse

Innovation has been viewed as the foundation for organizational success. However, the innovative behavior of coworkers can sometimes yield undesirable effects, manifested in the form of bootlegging, which refers to bottom-up innovation through non-programmed activities without formal authorization. Drawing upon transactional stress theory, this study investigates the complex dynamics of coworker innovative behavior on bootlegging, influenced by individual appraisals and the team culture. Specifically, we examine (a) the impact of coworker innovative behavior on bootlegging through different appraisals (i.e., challenge and hindrance) and (b) the moderating role of team culture tightness in this stressor-appraisal process. We test our hypotheses in a multi-sauce, multi-wave study design, involving 304 full-time Chinese employees from 59 teams. The results show that coworker innovative behavior has both positive and negative effects on bootlegging through challenge and hindrance appraisals, respectively. Importantly, team culture tightness strengthened the effect of coworker innovative behavior on hindrance appraisals by transmitting the detrimental effect of coworker innovative behavior on bootlegging. These findings provide a novel perspective on the person-situation interaction in understanding the emergence of bottom-up innovation.