When other people take credit for your efforts or ideas at work, it just doesn’t sting, it can fuel lasting anger.

But giving proper credit for ideas in the workplace can significantly reduce anger and go a long way in preventing toxic work environments, according to new research.

The study, published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, finds that when employees have credit for their ideas taken by others, the strongest emotional response is anger driven by a sense of lost ownership, recognition and opportunity. That reaction can be eased when organizations take simple steps to restore credit to the original idea owner.

“We know knowledge theft happens a lot,” says David Zweig, a professor of organizational behaviour and human resources in the Department of Management at U of T Scarborough and the Rotman School of Management, who led the study.

At the heart of the findings is that knowledge theft is experienced as a personal loss. “Victims of knowledge theft feel the loss of ownership of their ideas and the loss of recognition and reward that comes with it,” says Zweig. “This creates a lot of anger.”

The research builds on earlier work by Zweig that identified knowledge theft as a distinct and harmful workplace behaviour. That earlier study found employees who feel their ideas have been taken are more likely to disengage, withhold knowledge and contribute less. This ends up undermining collaboration and team performance.

In the new study, Zweig and his colleagues focus on why those reactions occur and how to address them.

Across two experimental studies involving more than 1,600 participants, researchers placed individuals in simulated workplace scenarios where their ideas were taken by others. They then tested interventions aimed at amplifying their contributions and restoring a sense of ownership.

One approach involved a “knowledge repository” where employees could formally document their ideas and attach their names to them. Participants whose ideas were appropriated by colleagues reported significantly lower feelings of loss and anger when credit was restored by leaders or colleagues through reference to the repository

A second approach focused on how others respond in real time. When leaders or colleagues publicly stepped in to acknowledge the original creator, participants again reported significantly less loss and anger.

“Restoring ownership by a leader or a colleague had a similar effect in terms of reducing perceptions of loss and anger and contributes to a more positive work climate,” says Zweig.

The findings highlight that relatively simple actions, such as recognizing contributions or correcting misattribution for efforts or ideas, can make a meaningful difference in workplace culture. Zweig says that matters because the effects of knowledge theft can ripple across organizations. When employees feel their ideas may be taken, they are less likely to share them in the future.

“When people worry that if they speak up their idea is going to be taken by the boss or a colleague, obviously they’re not going to share them in the future,” he says. 

The study suggests that the anger and resentment generated from knowledge theft is not inevitable. By restoring ownership, either through systems that track contributions or through leadership that prioritizes celebrating individual contributions, organizations can reduce anger and foster more supportive, collaborative environments.

“Nothing demotivates people faster than when someone steals the recognition you deserve for the work you’ve done,” says Zweig, who is an expert on workplace dynamics and behaviour. 

It also underscores the role of leadership. While acknowledging others’ contributions may seem straightforward, Zweig says it is often overlooked. 

“Not a lot of us are great at leadership,” he says. “But giving credit where credit is due is a really good habit to establish.” 

Zweig adds that the research also highlights how everyday decisions about recognition can shape workplace culture either by reinforcing trust and collaboration or by undermining it.

This article originally appeared on the U of T Scarborough News website.