Entering an upward spiral: Investigating how and when supervisors' talking about abuse leads to subsequent abusive supervision

Abstract

SummaryResearch on abusive supervision that adopts an actor‐centric perspective has found that abusive acts have immediate cognitive and affective consequences for supervisors. Less immediate consequences are also possible when perpetrators engage in later sensemaking by talking with others about their actions that violated interpersonal norms. In this research, we explore whether, how, and when abusive supervision talk may affect supervisors' subsequent abusive supervision toward subordinates. Drawing upon cognitive‐motivational‐relational theory, we propose that abusive supervision talk enhances supervisors' hostility toward the abused subordinate, which in turn increases their subsequent abusive supervisory behavior toward the subordinate. We also propose that person‐centered responses by listeners (i.e., supervisors' coworkers) strengthen the positive indirect effect of abusive supervision talk on subsequent abusive supervisory behavior via hostility. Results from an experiment and a multi‐source, multi‐wave field study lend support to these predictions. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings and directions for future research.