Distressed and drained: Consequences of intimate partner aggression and the buffering role of supervisor support

Abstract

Guided by the conservation of resources theory, this study builds on prior spillover research by examining the relationship between intimate partner aggression (IPA) and work outcomes (i.e., task performance and organizational citizenship behaviors), and the mediating role of psychological distress. We further hypothesized that perceived supervisor support serves as a contextual resource that would buffer the negative impact of IPA. We tested the model with data obtained from 228 matched employee-supervisor dyads. Results revealed that psychological distress mediated the relationship between IPA and work outcomes. In addition, the conditional indirect effects of IPA in predicting work outcomes via psychological distress were stronger at low as opposed to high levels of perceived supervisor support. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.