Abusive Supervisor Research Articles

UNDERSTANDING THE NEXUS BETWEEN ABUSIVE SUPERVISION, KNOWLEDGE HIDING BEHAVIOR, WORK DISENGAGEMENT, AND PERCEIVED ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT IN TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

Supervisors' dispositions have not received enough attention as potential antecedents to employees' knowledge - hiding behaviors. Based on this, the current study investigates the impact of abusive supervision on knowledge-hiding behaviors, considering the mediating role of work disengagement in this relationship, as well as investigating the moderating role of perceived organizational support in the study model. Data was obtained from frontline service employees of five-star hotels in Sharm El-Sheikh and tourism companies in Cairo, Egypt, by a questionnaire that surveyed 298 employees. The collected data was scrutinized using the Smart PLS-structural equation modeling technique. The PLS-SEM statistics proved the highly positive and significant effect of abusive supervision on knowledge-hiding behavior and employees’ work disengagement, supported the mediating effect of work disengagement, and the moderating effect of perceived organizationa l support. The study highlights some practical implications for hotels, such as implementing integrated knowledge offering a digital library, continuous management and administrative skills training, and behavioral training to facilitate the gaining of knowledge and enhance staff skills, self-confidence, loyalty, and job security. It also strongly suggests adopting a strategy to monitor abusive supervisors through open communication channels, regularly conducting exit interviews to reduce turnover, and enhancing engagement, thereby preventing abusive practices.

Bad Guys Finish First? A Moral Emotional Perspective of Job Performance Outcomes for Abusive Supervisors

Do abusive supervisors benefit from their own harmful behaviors, or do they experience the same repercussions as their victims do? This article extends a growing stream of research that aims to understand how bad actors process their own negative actions, when they are most impacted by their adverse behaviors, and how their job performance is influenced as a result. We ground this research in a moral emotions perspective to suggest that enacted abusive supervision elicits prominent moral responses (i.e., shame or guilt), which subsequently influence the supervisor’s own work conduct. Specifically, we suggest that feelings of guilt will prompt an abusive boss to compensate for their negative behaviors by increasing performance efforts, whereas supervisors with feelings of shame will withdraw and exhibit lower work performance. Multiple mediation results from Study 1 revealed that abusive supervisors predominantly experience shame and, in turn, reduced performance. In Study 2, we expand on these findings by considering the moderating role of supervisor core self-evaluations (CSE). We find that the negative relationship between enacted abuse and supervisor performance (through shame) is exacerbated when managers possess a fragile sense of self (i.e., low CSE). Overall, the current article adds to the argument that abusive supervisors do not profit from their own negative behaviors and that they, too, suffer performance setbacks.

When humor masks abuse: employee responses to abusive supervision through the lens of relational energy

PurposeDrawing on conservation of resources theory, this study aims to develop a resource-based model depicting a decreased level of psychological resourcefulness – relational energy, as a novel explanatory mechanism that accounts for the harm of abusive supervision, and we further investigate the role of leader humor as a boundary condition.Design/methodology/approachWe applied multilevel path analysis to test our hypotheses with three-time-point survey data collected from 226 supervisor-employee dyads in a telecommunication company in China across six months.FindingsOur results show that abusive supervision is negatively related to employee relational energy, leading to a subsequent decline in employee job performance. The predictions of the depleting effects get alleviated by leader humor.Practical implicationsThis study foregrounds the importance of employee relationship management in the workplace and reveals that some abusive supervisors may manage to sustain employee performance and relational energy by using humor in their interactions, which necessitates immediate intervention.Originality/valueThese findings offer novel insights into the deleterious impact of abusive supervision by demonstrating the critical role of relational energy in dyadic interactions. We also reveal the potential dark side of leader humor in the context of abuse in the workplace.

How does goal orientation affect employees’ perception of abusive supervisors?

PurposeGoal orientation shapes employees’ approach to and interpretation of workplace aspects such as supervisors’ behavior. However, research has not fully examined the effect of goal orientation as an antecedent of abusive supervision. Drawing from victim precipitation theory, this study aims to fill this research gap by investigating how employees’ goal orientation influences their perception of abusive supervision.Design/methodology/approachTwo studies were conducted to test the hypotheses. In Study 1, 181 employees in 45 departments participated in the survey, and multilevel confirmatory factor analysis, two-level path model and polynomial regression were used. In Study 2, 108 working adults recruited from a professional online survey platform participated in a two-wave time-lagged survey. Confirmatory factor analysis, hierarchical linear regression and polynomial regression were used.FindingsThis study found that employees’ learning goal orientation was negatively related to their perception of abusive supervision. In contrast, performance-avoidance goal orientation was positively related to their perception of abusive supervision, whereas performance-approach goal orientation was unrelated to this perception. Moreover, employees’ perception of abusive supervision was greater when learning and performance-approach goal orientation alignment occurred at lower rather than higher levels, and when performance-avoidance and performance-approach goal orientation alignment occurred at higher rather than lower levels.Originality/valueThis research identified two novel victim traits as antecedents of abusive supervision – employees’ learning goal orientation and performance-avoidance goal orientation. Furthermore, adopting a multiple goal perspective, the authors examined the combined effects of goal orientation on employees’ perception of abusive supervision.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERCEIVED ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT AND ABUSIVE SUPERVISION

Abusive supervisors create pressure on employees and make them feel uncomfortable. People abused by thşe supervisors may be ostracized or supported by other employees. This tendency is actually significant in showing how organizations stand against abusive supervisors. Perceived organizational support can give an idea of how employees tend to be. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between perceived organizational support and abusive supervision. In accordance with this purpose, data was collected from 93 nurses in Turkey. IBM SPSS program was used to analyze the data. After the factor analysis Pearson correlation coefficient was found and ANOVA analysis was performed. Finally, regression analysis was performed. Abusive management was found to have a significant effect on perceived organizational support. However, the level of this effect was determined to be small. Similar studies were conducted in other countries and higher results were found. The value obtained in Turkey was relatively lower. These findings can be used by top managers. It can also provide a guidance to the scholars.

Abusive supervisor triggers counterproductive work behaviors in nursing staff: role of psychological contract breach and Islamic work ethics

PurposeAbusive supervision (AS) provides insights into the darker aspects of leadership behavior and its effects on employees. Understanding and addressing AS can contribute to creating healthier work environments and promoting employee well-being. The effect of abusive leadership (AS) on counterproductive work behaviors (CWB) in nursing staff is examined through the theoretical lens of the social exchange theory.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 302 nursing staff working at public and private hospitals through a self-administered questionnaire. Measurement scales were adapted from the literature and the data were tested for validity and reliability before performing hypotheses testing through structural equation modeling in SmartPLS 4.0.FindingsAS positively affects CWB, and psychological contract breach mediates this relationship. However, employees with high Islamic work ethics (IWE) are less concerned with supervisors' dysfunctional behaviors and pay less attention to them; thus, IWE buffers the effect of AS on CWBs.Originality/valueA positive and supportive organizational climate is crucial for attracting and retaining skilled healthcare professionals. When healthcare professionals are subjected to abusive behaviors, their ability to share knowledge, adopt safety protocols and provide the best patient care may be hampered. Therefore, addressing AS in hospitals is vital to promoting a positive work environment, enhancing employee well-being and improving patient care.

Goal-focused abusive leaders: The mitigating role of conscientiousness in subordinates’ counterproductive work behavior

When an abusive supervisor exhibits goal-focused leadership, does goal-focused leadership buffer or deteriorate the impact of abusive supervision on subordinates? Although leaders normally exhibit different leadership styles at the same time, little effort has been made to examine how different leadership styles affect subordinates. We also investigate the three-way interaction among abusive supervision, goal-focused leadership, and conscientiousness on counterproductive work behavior (CWB). With two multinational samples, our findings consistently indicate that subordinates exposed to more goal-focused leadership along with abusive supervision are significantly more likely to engage in CWB. In addition, we find a three-way interaction such that the relationship between abusive supervision and subordinates’ CWB is the strongest among subordinates who have low conscientiousness when leaders exhibit a high level of goal-focused leadership. JEL Classification: D23

The Intuitive and Counterintuitive Effects of Supportive and Abusive Supervision on Hotel Employees

When studied independently subordinate perceived supervisor support and abusive supervision have unequivocally contrary effects on subordinate outcomes that are critical to the performance of hospitality organizations. Although both supportive and abusive supervisor behaviors occur in the subordinate–direct supervisor exchange relationship, the simultaneous effects of these two constructs have yet to be illuminated. Drawing on the within-domain exacerbation hypothesis and the whiplash effect, we propose a conceptual framework that captures both the independent and interactive effects of subordinate perceived supervisor support and abusive supervision on hotel employees. Using a sample composed of 194 direct subordinate-supervisor pairings from 119 hotel property departments and 18 Chinese hotel properties, we illuminate the contrary, relative, and interactive effects of perceived supervisor support and abusive supervision on subordinate hotel employees’ job stress as well as their (supervisor-rated) individual-oriented organizational citizenship behavior. Implications and limitations of the current study and avenues for future research are discussed.

Abusive Supervision and Burnout: Investigating the Impact of Susceptibility and Exposure to a Stressor

ABSTRACT Drawing on conservation of resources theory, the purpose of this study was to further our understanding of the relationship between abusive supervision and burnout by examining two variables that likely exacerbate this relationship. Susceptibility to stress (i.e. subordinate’s neuroticism) and exposure to a stressor (i.e. time spent with the abusive supervisor) were hypothesized to magnify the positive relationship between abusive supervision and burnout. Data collected from two samples confirmed the positive relationship between abusive supervision and burnout. However, this relationship appears to be unaffected by the employee’s neuroticism nor time spent with their supervisor. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

Do Victims Really Help Their Abusive Supervisors? Reevaluating the Positive Consequences of Abusive Supervision.

Do victims really help their abusive supervisors? Does abusive supervision have any positive consequence? The study aims to address this concern through extending the work by Tröster and Van Quaquebeke (2021). Using subordinates' self-reports, Tröster and Van Quaquebeke (2021) found that abusive supervision in high-quality leader-member exchange (LMX) relationship motivates subordinates to blame themselves, subsequently making them feel guilty and make up for it by being more helpful. By integrating both subordinates' and supervisors' perspectives, and using multi-wave, multi-source, and multi-level data collected in China, we obtain three major findings. First, as a replication of their findings, LMX moderates the direct effect of abusive supervision on workplace self-blame, and the indirect effect of abusive supervision on workplace guilt via workplace self-blame. The positive direct and indirect effects are stronger when LMX quality is higher. Second, different from their findings, LMX moderates the indirect effect of abusive supervision on supervisor-directed helping (evaluated by supervisors) via workplace self-blame and workplace guilt such that the negative indirect effect is stronger when LMX quality is higher. Third, as an extension, supervisor-evaluated LMX (SLMX) moderates the effect of workplace guilt on supervisor-directed helping such that the negative effect is stronger when SLMX is lower-quality. Put together, LMX and SLMX moderate the indirect effect of abusive supervision on supervisor-directed helping via workplace self-blame and workplace guilt. The negative indirect effect is stronger when LMX quality is higher, but SLMX quality is lower. Our study challenges previous speculations on the positive or beneficial consequences of abusive supervision, and thus contributes to the literature on abusive supervision.

Devils at job environment: A study on employee ego depletion from abusive supervision and workaholic coworker

This research addresses the detrimental impact of abusive supervision and workaholic coworkers on employees’ well-being and work-related motivations. It aims to investigate the effects of employees' disidentification and perceived self-team achievement in response to abusive supervision and workaholic coworkers, mediated by ego depletion. Additionally, the study explores the dual consequences of these factors on interpersonal conflict and turnover intentions. Three between-subject experiments were conducted within the hospitality industry, showing that workaholic coworkers create a more stressful environment than abusive supervisors, leading to employee ego depletion, increased conflict, and turnover intentions. Self-achieving abusive supervisors increase conflict and turnover, while workaholic coworkers' self-achievement intensifies these effects. However, employees’ disidentification with workaholic coworkers reduces ego depletion, leading to less conflict and lower turnover intentions. This research sheds light on the importance of addressing abusive supervision and workaholic coworker dynamics in order to foster a healthier work environment and improve employee well-being and retention.

No Time for Ethics: How and When Time Pressure Leads to Abusive Supervisory Behavior

No Time for Ethics: How and When Time Pressure Leads to Abusive Supervisory Behavior

Stress, Gossip, and Cynism; The mediatory role of Abusive Supervisor towards Emotional Exhaustion in the Banking Industry of Pakistan

The main objectives of this study are to examine stress, cynicism, and gossip's impact on emotional exhaustion. However abusive supervision is used as a mediator to check the governing role between stress, gossip, and cynicism which cause emotional exhaustion to the employees of the education sector of Pakistan. The research is based on primary data and data collected by questionnaire, Google form survey was used to collect the convenient sampling data of education sector employees working in Pakistan. Smart Pls is utilized to assess measurement and structural models. All Hypothesis was tested and results revealed the association between stress, gossip, and cynicism with the mediating role of abusive supervisor influence on emotional exhaustion. Surprisingly gossip has no impact on emotional exhaustion. This study examines the factors that contribute to emotional exhaustion in subordinates raised as a result of abusive supervision. This has a negative impact on the subordinates' mental health and led to mental and emotional exhaustion. The research significantly proved that the mediating impact of abusive supervision on stress, gossip, and cynicism is related to emotional exhaustion.

Stress, Gossip, and Cynism; The mediatory role of Abusive Supervisor towards Emotional Exhaustion in the Banking Industry of Pakistan

This study explores how emotional exhaustion is affected by stress, cynicism, and gossip in Pakistani banking while including abusive supervision as a mediator. The study's focus extends to delineating the governing role abusive supervision plays in the relationship between stress, gossip, and cynicism, and their subsequent impact on emotional exhaustion among employees in Pakistan's educational sector. Data were primarily gathered through a Google Form survey, employing a convenience sampling method targeted at employees in the banking industry. Analytical procedures were conducted using Smart PLS V.3 to evaluate both measurement and structural models. All hypotheses were rigorously tested, revealing that stress, gossip, and cynicism are correlated with emotional exhaustion when mediated by abusive supervision. Intriguingly, the study found that gossip does not directly influence emotional exhaustion. The findings emphasize that abusive supervision exacerbates factors leading to emotional exhaustion in subordinates, adversely affecting their mental well-being. The study conclusively demonstrates the significant mediating role that abusive supervision plays in linking stress, gossip, and cynicism to emotional exhaustion.

The dark side of leadership: abusive supervision and its effects on Employee's behavior and well-being

PurposeThe aim of this study is to examine the impact of abusive supervision on employees' emotional and work-related outcomes, using a theoretical framework that integrates affective events theory (AET) and self-determination theory (SDT). The research sought to explore the effects of abusive supervision on subordinates' positive and negative affect, and the subsequent impact on customer orientation and life satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachThe data for this study were collected cross-sectionally through a structured questionnaire completed by employees who have experienced abusive supervision in their current or previous jobs. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data.FindingsThe results indicated that when subordinates experienced abusive supervision, they reported lower levels of positive affect and higher levels of negative affect. These emotions, in turn, impacted their customer orientation and life satisfaction. Positive affect was found to positively influence both customer orientation and life satisfaction, while negative affect had a negative effect on life satisfaction. Surprisingly, customer orientation was positively impacted by negative affect.Originality/valueTherefore, the findings of this study suggest that positive and negative affects mediate the relationship between abusive supervision and life satisfaction, but not with customer orientation. This study advances prior research by linking the impact of an abusive supervisor to employees' customer behavior and life satisfaction, using positive and negative affects as mediators, and building upon the theories of AET and SDT.

Bottom-line mentality and abusive supervisory behaviour in MSMEs: how do they affect employee outcomes?

PurposeGrounded on trait activation and social learning theories, this study aims to examine the effects of bottom-line mentality (BLM) and perceived abusive supervisory behaviour on proactive employee work behaviour and employee bottom-line mentality (EBLM) in micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Ghana. The moderating effects of relational attachment on how abusive supervisory behaviour relates to employee proactive work behaviour (PWB) and BLM were examined.Design/methodology/approachThe study was based on a quantitative approach. An online questionnaire was used in a cross-sectional survey to elicit data from 643 conveniently sampled employees. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data.FindingsThe results support the proposition that owner-manager bottom-line mentality (OMBLM) positively and significantly predicts abusive supervision. The findings also revealed that owner-manager abusive supervisory behaviour significantly predicts employee PWB and EBLM. While the moderating effect of relational attachment on the relationship between perceived owner-manager abusive supervisory behaviour and EBLM is positive and significant, its effect on perceived owner-manager abusive supervisory and proactive employee work behaviour relationship was positive but insignificant.Originality/valueThe authors studied owner-manager abusive supervisory behaviour to understand how OMBLM relates to proactive employee work behaviour and EBLM among MSMEs in Ghana. The study sets the tone to investigate further the impact of OMBLM and the functional effect of owner-manager abusive supervisory behaviour on manager–employee relationships and outcomes among MSMEs in emerging economies.

Stigma by Association: The Unintended Interpersonal Consequences of Associating Oneself with an Abusive Supervisor

Extant abusive supervision research has predominantly studied its prevalence and destructive effects through the lens of victims, potential victims, or third-party observers who witness such mistreatments. In the present research, we examine a neglected group of individuals—employees who are able to develop high-quality relationships and are closely associated with their abusive supervisors. Drawing insights from the stigma-by-association literature, we conceptualize abusive supervision as a unique form of moral stigma that might result in unintended spillover effects. Specifically, we found that observers tend to perceive employees who are closely associated with an abusive supervisor to be less moral and trustworthy for seemingly sharing a similar set of unethical values and beliefs, even though this might not necessarily be true in reality. As a downstream consequence, these employees are subject to unintended interpersonal backlashes (i.e., withdrawal from helping behaviors) imposed by their fellow coworkers. Furthermore, we investigate the moderating role of voluntary motive attribution, revealing that those who were attributed to voluntarily associate themselves with abusive supervisors received the highest levels of interpersonal backlashes. Results from one pilot study, one multiwave survey study (Study 2), and three preregistered experiments (Studies 1, 3, 4) supported our full theoretical model. Our research adds new insights to the abusive supervision literature by introducing a new unintended consequence on a previously overlooked group of employees who are presumed to be shielded from the negative impact of abusive supervision. Funding: This work was supported by the Singapore Ministry of Education [Grant R-317-000-164-115]. Supplemental Material: The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2023.1678 .

Effect of abusive supervision on organizational cynicism (Cognitive, affective, behavioral) mediating effect of playing dumb.

The purpose of the present study is to examine the link of Abusive Supervision with Organizational Cynicism i.e. Cognitive, Emotional, or Behavioral Cynicism by focusing on the mediating role of Abusive Supervisor's Knowledge Hiding behavior of Playing Dumb in Higher Education Institutions in Pakistan. Data was collected using questionnaire under the survey research design. The participants included 400 faculty and staff members from Higher Education Institutions in Pakistan. Structural Equation Modelling using SmartPLS is used to test the hypothesized relationships of Abusive Supervision and Knowledge Hiding Behavior of Abusive Supervisors with the faculty and staff's Organizational Cynicism behaviors. The results indicate that Abusive Supervision is significantly and positively related with faculty and staff's Cognitive, Emotional, and Behavioral Cynicism. This study also indicates that Knowledge Hiding behavior of Playing Dumb fully mediates the relationship between Abusive Supervision and Cognitive Cynicism and partially mediates the relationship between Abusive Supervision and Behavioral Cynicism. However, Playing Dumb as a knowledge Hiding behaviour does not impact the relationship between Abusive Supervision and Emotional Cynicism. This means that Knowledge Hiding by Playing dumb contributes to the adverse effect of Abusive Supervision, leading to increased Cognitive and Behavioral Cynicism. This study contributes to literature on Organizational Cynicism and Abusive Supervision by studying the link between them and effect of Abusive Supervisor's Knowledge Hiding behavior of Playing Dumb as a mediator. The study also indicates that Abusive Supervision characterized by Knowledge Hiding behavior of Playing Dumb is really a problem in Higher Education Institutions in Pakistan. This study holds importance for top management in Higher Education Institutions in to curb the negative effects of Abusive Supervision by developing a policy framework that ensures prevention of Organizational Cynicism in faculty and staff. Moreover, the policy guidelines should ensure that control of essential resources such as Knowledge in the hands of the Abusive leaders should not be misused, causing Organizational Cynicism and eventually leading to problems such as turnover and psychological and behavioral issues among faculty and staff in Higher Education Institutions of Pakistan.

Abusive supervision and cyberloafing: an investigation based on Stressor-Emotion-CWB theory

PurposeCyberloafing is an organization-directed counterproductive work behavior (CWB). One stream of literature deems cyberloafing to be bad for organizations and their employees, while another suggests cyberloafing is a coping response to stressful work events. Our work contributes to the latter stream of literature. The key objective of our study is to examine whether cyberloafing could be a means to cope with a stressful work event-abusive supervision, and if yes, what mediating and boundary conditions are involved. For this investigation, the authors leveraged the Stressor-Emotion-CWB theory which posits that individuals engage in CWB to cope with the negative affect generated by the stressors and that this relationship is moderated at the first stage by personality traits.Design/methodology/approachUsing a multi-wave survey design, the authors collected data from 357 employees working in an Indian IT firm. Results revealed support for three out of the four hypotheses.FindingsBased on the Stressor-Emotion-CWB theory, the authors found that work-related negative affect fully mediated the positive relationship between abusive supervision and cyberloafing, and work locus of control (WLOC) moderated the positive relationship between abusive supervision and work-related negative affect. The authors did not find any evidence of a direct relationship between abusive supervision and cyberloafing. Also, the positive indirect relationship between abusive supervision and cyberloafing through work-related negative affect was moderated at the first stage by the WLOC such that the indirect effect was stronger (weaker) at high (low) levels of WLOC.Originality/valueThis work demonstrates that cyberloafing could be a way for employees to cope with their abusive supervisors.

Helpful or hurtful? A study on the behavior choice of bystanders in the context of abusive supervision

Purpose The purpose of this study is to reveal the mechanism of peer abusive supervision on bystander behavior based on the perspective of bystander from two different paths of bystander empathy and bystander hostility toward supervisor. At the same time, it discusses the moderation effect of bystander traditionality on the two paths. Design/methodology/approach This study conducted a three-wave longitudinal survey. The data were collected from 454 employees and their coworkers in several Chinese enterprises. The authors used Mplus 7.4 and adopted a bootstrapping technique in the data analysis. Findings Peer abusive supervision leads bystanders to empathize with the abused colleague and thus exhibit more organizational citizenship behaviors, and peer abusive supervision also induces bystanders to develop hostility toward the abusive supervisor and thus produce more workplace negative gossip behaviors. In addition, it is found that bystander traditionality has a moderation effect in the process by which peer perceptions of abusive supervision influence bystander empathy and bystander hostility. Originality/value Based on Affective Events Theory, this study explores the mechanism of colleague perception of abusive supervision on bystander behavior from a bystander perspective. The results of this study not only provide a more comprehensive expansion of the weighting factors in the influence mechanism of abusive supervision but also provide new ideas for organizations to reduce the negative effects of workplace abusive behaviors.