Supervisor-directed Deviance Research Articles

Spoiled Rotten? LMXSC Motivates Greater Supervisor-Directed Deviance in Individuals Who Were Overindulged as Children

AbstractRecent work has demonstrated that perceiving oneself as being treated better by one’s leader compared to one’s coworkers’ treatment by the same leader (i.e., leader-member exchange social comparison; LMXSC) can motivate aggressive behavior towards one’s colleagues. Extending these findings, the current paper argues that high LMXSC employees can also be motivated to show aggressive behavior towards their leader, depending on their early experiences with authority figures (i.e., parents/guardians). Using both experimental and time-lagged field study designs, this study demonstrates that LMXSC elicits hubristic pride which, in turn, motivates supervisor-directed deviance in subordinates who were overindulged by their parents/guardians as children. These findings challenge the assumption that high LMXSC employees reciprocate their leaders’ positive treatment by revealing when and why they can be motivated to demonstrate aggressive and deviant leader-directed behavior.

Triggered Abuse: How and Why Leaders with Narcissistic Rivalry React to Follower Deviance

Previous research has shown that leaders’ narcissistic rivalry is positively associated with abusive supervision. However, it remains unclear when and how leaders high in narcissistic rivalry show abusive supervision. Building on trait activation theory and the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Concept (NARC), we assumed that leaders high in narcissistic rivalry particularly show abusive supervision in reaction to follower workplace deviance due to their tendency to devaluate others. We argued that leaders’ injury initiation motives explain why leaders high in narcissistic rivalry react with abusive supervision when experiencing organization-directed or supervisor-directed deviance. However, this should not be the case for coworker-directed deviance, as leaders high in narcissistic rivalry are less likely to find such behavior violates their internal norms. We conducted two studies. In the first study, we provided participants with experimental vignettes of follower workplace deviance. In the second study, we used a mixed-methods approach and investigated leaders’ autobiographical recollections of follower workplace deviance. We found a positive direct effect of leaders’ narcissistic rivalry across both studies. Leaders high in narcissistic rivalry showed abusive supervision (intentions) in response to organization-directed deviance (Studies 1 and 2) or supervisor-directed deviance (Study 1), but not in response to coworker-directed deviance (Studies 1 and 2). Leaders’ injury initiation motives could in part explain this effect. We discuss findings in light of the NARC and devaluation of others and derive implications for theory and practice.

Vicarious abusive supervision among restaurant frontline employees: the role of employee industry tenure

PurposeVicarious abusive supervision (VAS) has recently garnered the attention of hospitality researchers. VAS is prevalent in hospitality work settings characterized by long production chains and open operating environments. Based on the conservation of resources (CORs) theory, this study aims to examine how VAS influences hospitality employees’ work behaviours (i.e. supervisor-directed deviance, silence and helping behaviour) via affective rumination, with the moderating role of industry tenure as an individual contingency on the relationship between VAS and affective rumination.Design/methodology/approachThe data were gathered from 233 restaurant frontline employees and their supervisors in Turkey. The authors tested the proposed model using partial least squares method through SmartPLS 3.FindingsThe results reveal that VAS triggers affective rumination, which, in turn, is positively related to supervisor-directed deviance and silence, and negatively related to helping behaviour. Moreover, industry tenure, as a buffer resource, significantly moderates the relationship between VAS and affective rumination.Practical implicationsTo reduce the occurrence of VAS and mitigate its negative effects, managers should establish a work environment that embraces understanding and respect, pay attention to how they communicate with employees, implement appropriate interventions when VAS occurs and conduct stress management training and improve employees’ emotion regulation skills in ways that correspond to the employees’ industry experience.Originality/valueThis study advances research on VAS by offering insight into how VAS impacts employees’ work behaviours via the underlying mechanism of affective rumination through a COR lens. The findings also shed light on the salient buffering effect of industry tenure as an individual contingency.

Observed Supervisor Being Abused, Perceived Leader Effectiveness, and Supervisor-Directed Deviance

Observed Supervisor Being Abused, Perceived Leader Effectiveness, and Supervisor-Directed Deviance

Biting the Hand that Feeds You: When Better Leader Treatment Motivates Supervisor-Directed Deviance

Biting the Hand that Feeds You: When Better Leader Treatment Motivates Supervisor-Directed Deviance

Do congruent perceptions of an ethical leader and one's supervisor impact job-related outcomes? Testing mechanisms and boundaries

PurposeThe authors integrate social cognitive theory with social exchange theory to examine how subordinates' perceptions of leader-member exchange (LMX) and moral disengagement mediate the relationship between congruence on implicit leadership theories (ILTs) of ethical leaders and characteristics recognized in one's supervisor (ethical ILT–supervisor alignment) and subsequent engagement-related outcomes (engagement attitudes, job satisfaction and supervisor-directed deviance). The authors then examine romance of leadership (ROL) as a moderator of these relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe authors tested the theorized indirect effects and boundary conditions in a moderated mediation model using 180 working adults over three time points, in a polynomial regression framework using a block variable approach.FindingsThe authors found moderated indirect effects between ethical ILT–supervisor alignment and work-related outcomes via LMX and moral disengagement. ROL served as a boundary condition, such that the high levels bolstered the positive effects of ethical ILT–supervisor alignment.Originality/valueThe study results suggest that examining ethical leadership through the lens of implicit theories may be fruitful and highlight the importance of accounting for context when assessing the impact of ILTs.

Ethical Leadership and Supervisor Directed Deviance: Roles of Organizational Pride and Uncertainty

Drawing on attribution theory, this study examines the rarely addressed relationship of ethical leadership and supervisor-directed deviance and underlying psychological mechanism. In addition, I took organizational uncertainty as a context and a boundary condition to understand that how high uncertainty affects the relationship between ethical leadership and its generated organizational pride. Data of 323 employees and 194 supervisors was collected from the hospitality industry and analyzed through Mplus after achieving the model fit. The results indicated ethical leaders add to their subordinates' pride and also reduce supervisor-directed deviance. However, moderation results indicated that a high level of uncertainty in an organization reduces followers' pride irrespective they view their leaders are ethical. This study discusses several theoretical and practical implications for researchers and practitioners. First, this study advances attribution theory and discusses relational attributions, a new yet imperative perspective to predict and explain behaviors, in organizational behavior. Second, it highlighted that managers should know the gravity of uncertainty because high uncertainty potentially reduces employees’ positive attitudes. A conclusion is drawn in the light of empirical findings.

Thriving is Not All Good: The Influence of Supervisor Thriving on Employees’ Well-Being and Behavior

Can the positive experience of thriving transfer from supervisor to subordinates in the workplace? Our study focuses on the supervisors’ thriving experience in Chinese police organizations. Drawing on crossover research and job demands-resources theory, we explore the transfer process between supervisors and subordinates and consequences for subordinate behaviors and well-being. Using matched supervisor-subordinate longitudinal survey data, our multi-level analyses reveal surprising and disquieting results. We find that supervisor thriving leads to role overload among subordinates, which in turn results in subordinate burnout and supervisor-directed deviance behavior. In addition, arising from role overload, supervisor thriving diminishes subordinate thriving. Overall, our study shows how supervisor thriving exerts a negative rather than positive effect on subordinates with adverse consequences for supervisors and the organization. This dark side of workplace thriving serves as a foundation for future work.

The Dark Side of Leader Narcissism: The Relationship Between Leaders’ Narcissistic Rivalry and Abusive Supervision

Narcissists often attain leadership positions, but at the same time do not care for others and often engage in unethical behaviors. We therefore explored the role of leader narcissism as an antecedent of abusive supervision, a form of unethical leadership. We based our study on the narcissistic admiration and rivalry concept (NARC) and proposed a direct positive effect of leaders’ narcissistic rivalry—the maladaptive narcissism dimension—on abusive supervision. In line with trait activation and threatened egotism theory, we also proposed a moderated mediation assuming that leaders high in narcissistic rivalry would be particularly prone to showing abusive supervision in reaction to followers’ supervisor-directed deviance, as this form of follower behavior would threaten their self-esteem. We conducted a field study with leader–follower dyads (Study 1) and an experimental vignette study with leaders (Study 2). Leaders’ narcissistic rivalry was positively related to abusive supervision (intentions) in both studies. This effect was independent of followers’ supervisor-directed deviance and leaders’ perceived self-esteem threat. We discuss our findings in light of the NARC, as well as threatened egotism theory, and offer directions for future research. Finally, we make practical recommendations for organizations.

Passive leadership and deviant behaviors: the moderating effect of power distance and collectivism

PurposeThis study investigates the relationship between passive leadership and deviant behaviors targeted to supervisors (supervisor-directed deviance) and coworkers (interpersonal deviance), and the moderating effect power distance and collectivism have on these relationships.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a survey questionnaire. Respondents were 310 non-managerial employees working in various industries in Surabaya, Indonesia. This study uses partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine hypotheses.FindingsThis study indicates that passive leadership has a positive relationship with supervisor-directed deviance, but not with interpersonal deviance. Moreover, power distance moderates these relationships. Additionally, the findings show that collectivism moderates the relationship between passive leadership and interpersonal deviance, but not with supervisor-directed deviance.Practical implicationsManagers need to be aware of the roles and responsibilities of their positions and understand their subordinates' expectations, specifically related to their cultural values.Originality/valueFew studies have investigated the relationship between passive leadership and deviant behaviors, especially those directed at supervisors and coworkers. Also, there is little study that explored the role of cultural values in these relationships. The present study provides new insight regarding the moderating role power distance and collectivism have in the relationship between passive leadership and deviant behaviors.

Abusive Supervision and Supervisor-Directed Deviance: A Social Network Approach

Supervisor-directed deviance is a well-established consequence of abusive supervision. However, prior accounts of the abuse–deviance relationship have overlooked the role played by power embedded in subordinates’ informal social context. To address this gap, we draw on power-dependence theory and use a social network approach to explain the link between abusive supervision and supervisor-directed deviance. In doing so, we propose a three-way interaction in which the abuse–deviance relationship is impacted by two components of informal power: subordinate social network centrality and subordinate influence. In particular, we propose that the relationship will be the strongest when subordinates have high betweenness centrality and high influence. We gathered full social network data, as well as self-report surveys from 272 primary school teachers and government contract workers in Northern China. Our results provide support for the notion that supervisor-directed deviance emerges most strongly as a consequence of abusive supervision for employees who wield informal power in their organization.

Is Ethicality Itself a Boundary Condition for Ethicality: The Complementary Role of Employees’ Exchange Ideology and Moral Awareness in Restricting the Effect of Ethical Leadership in Reducing Workplace Deviance

Ethical leadership (EL) seems to be effective in reducing workplace deviance, questions remain as to whether its benefits are consistent across all situations. Specifically, whether its effectiveness remained in an already ethical environment. In this investigation, we explore two important boundary conditions of ethical leadership that are themselves related to ethicality. We first explore how employees’ moral awareness (MA) may lessen the need for ethical leadership. Drawing on substitutes for leadership theory, we suggest that when individuals already possess a heightened level of moral awareness, ethical leadership’s role in reducing deviant actions may be reduced. We also contended that Employees’ Exchange Ideology - the strength of an employee’s belief that the work effort should depend on treatment by the organization- also reduces EL effectiveness. This norm of reciprocity may not be ethical, as the leader’s positive or negative efforts towards employees may divert them from doing what is morally right to reciprocate. However, not all individuals value reciprocity to the same degree, hence higher Employees’ Exchange Ideology (EEI) may be another boundary condition of EL effectiveness. We conceptualize this framework by modifying Gok et. al. (2017) model to add Employees’ Exchange Ideology as a moderating factor along with Moral Awareness. Workplace Deviance was measured by organizational directed deviance (OD) and supervisor directed deviance (SD). Empirical validity was established by conducting a survey using a close-ended questionnaire. Data was collected from 310 employees working in different organizations in Pakistan and was analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structured equation modeling. Results indicated a significant negative complementarity of EEI, in the effect of EL on both dimensions of workplace deviance. This suggested, higher EEI seems to limit the effect of EL on organizational and supervisor-directed deviance. However, the moderating effect of MA was not substantiated for Pakistan. EEI also seems to have a positive effect on both OD and SD, while, SD seems to have a positive effect on OD. Interestingly, EL seems to be causing rather than reducing both OD and SD in the Pakistani environment.

Is Ethicality Itself a Boundary Condition for Ethicality: The Complementary Role of Employees' Exchange Ideology and Moral Awareness in Restricting the Effect of Ethical Leadership in Reducing Workplace Deviance.

Ethical leadership (EL) seems to be effective in reducing workplace deviance, questions remain as to whether its benefits are consistent across all situations. Specifically, whether its effectiveness remained in an already ethical environment. In this investigation, we explore two important boundary conditions of ethical leadership that are themselves related to ethicality. We first explore how employees’ moral awareness (MA) may lessen the need for ethical leadership. Drawing on substitutes for leadership theory, we suggest that when individuals already possess a heightened level of moral awareness, ethical leadership’s role in reducing deviant actions may be reduced. We also contended that Employees' Exchange Ideology - the strength of an employee’s belief that the work effort should depend on treatment by the organization- also reduces EL effectiveness. This norm of reciprocity may not be ethical, as the leader's positive or negative efforts towards employees may divert them from doing what is morally right to reciprocate. However, not all individuals value reciprocity to the same degree, hence higher Employees' Exchange Ideology (EEI) may be another boundary condition of EL effectiveness. We conceptualize this framework by modifying Gok et. al. (2017) model to add Employees' Exchange Ideology as a moderating factor along with Moral Awareness. Workplace Deviance was measured by organizational directed deviance (OD) and supervisor directed deviance (SD). Empirical validity was established by conducting a survey using a close-ended questionnaire. Data was collected from 310 employees working in different organizations in Pakistan and was analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structured equation modeling. Results indicated a significant negative complementarity of EEI, in the effect of EL on both dimensions of workplace deviance. This suggested, higher EEI seems to limit the effect of EL on organizational and supervisor directed deviance. However, the moderating effect of MA was not substantiated for Pakistan. EEI also seems to have a positive effect on both OD and SD, while, SD seems to have a positive effect on OD. Interestingly, EL seems to be causing rather than reducing both OD and SD in the Pakistani environment.

It Matters! Emotion Regulation Strategy Use Moderates the Relationship Between Abusive Supervision and Supervisor-Directed Deviance

This study examined the moderating effects of cognitive reappraisal and emotional suppression, two contrasting and representative emotion regulation strategies, on the abusive supervision - supervisor-directed deviance relationship. We tested the moderation hypotheses with two samples. Sample 1 consisted of a group of 499 English-speaking full-time workers recruited from TurkPrime. Sample 2 included a group of 318 Chinese full-time workers from various organizations. These two samples provided convergent evidence for the moderation effects of both cognitive reappraisal and emotional suppression. Specifically, cognitive reappraisal weakened the relationship between abusive supervision and supervisor-directed deviance such that the relationship was weaker among employees with higher than lower cognitive reappraisal. Emotional suppression exaggerated the association between abusive supervision and supervisor-directed deviance such that this association was stronger for employees with higher than lower emotional suppression. Our findings highlight the differential effectiveness of cognitive reappraisal and emotional suppression in coping with abusive supervision. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

Linking Managerial Coaching and Workplace Deviance: The Mediating Role of Thriving at Work

Workplace deviance is indeed an issue for any organization. Many researchers have endeavored to explore different predictors to control this problem. However, managerial coaching can be seen as a leading managerial practice to address this issue within the organizations. Using the LMX theory, a model was developed to explore the direct relationship between managerial coaching and workplace deviance and their indirect relationship through thriving at work. A survey was conducted on a sample of 300 pharmaceutical sales employees selected through simple random sampling. The structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was used to conduct data analysis and model fitness. The results reveal that managerial coaching has a significant impact on reducing supervisor-directed deviance which can be explained through the intervening role of thriving at work. According to the data, managers or supervisors who act like mentors are less likely to be targets of deviance by their subordinates, most probably because the subordinates who are guided and mentored focus more on performing well, rather than on being vengeful. This study provides an empirical and practical contribution to combating and reducing workplace deviance through coaching and thriving at work. The theoretical implications, future directions, and limitations are also discussed.

When and how vicarious abusive supervision leads to bystanders’ supervisor-directed deviance

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine bystanders’ supervisor-directed deviance to vicarious abusive supervision by supervisor-directed attribution. Furthermore, this study developed a moderated–mediation model to explore how LMX between bystander and his/her supervisor moderate the relationship between vicarious abusive supervision and the supervisor-directed attribution, which subsequently influences bystanders’ supervisor-directed deviance.Design/methodology/approachThe paper tested the model using a sample of 336 workers using a two-wave survey. A moderated–mediation analysis was conducted with bootstrapping procedure to test the first stage moderated–mediation model in this study.FindingsThe results showed that LMX (between bystander and his/her supervisor) weakens the indirect relationship between vicarious abusive supervision and supervisor-directed deviance by bystanders’ supervisor-directed attribution.Practical implicationsLeadership training programs should be conducted to caution supervisors in terms of the deleterious consequences of vicarious abusive supervision. Organizations also should plan perception and communication training courses for leaders; such training would reduce bystanders’ responsibility attribution to them by providing timely explanations and communication. Furthermore, organizations should monitor supervisors by managers’ performance appraisal and formulate rules to punish abusive managers.Originality/valueThese results clarify the nature and consequences of LMX (dyadic relationships of bystanders–supervisor) for bystanders’ attribution process, and explain underlying attributional perceptions and reactions to vicarious abusive supervision. This study provides a more nuanced understanding of when and how vicarious abusive supervision leads to bystanders’ supervisor-directed deviance.

Fight and Flight: a Contingency Model of Third Parties’ Approach-Avoidance Reactions to Peer Abusive Supervision

Integrating deontic justice theory and the approach-avoidance framework, we propose that peer abusive supervision will elicit third parties’ approach-avoidance emotional and behavioral reactions. Drawing upon scope of justice theory, we posit that peer victimization serves as a key contingency in the relationship between peer abusive supervision and third parties’ approach-avoidance emotional reactions as well as having indirect impacts on approach-avoidance behavioral reactions. Based on multi-level and multi-time data, the results showed that peer abusive supervision (above and beyond third parties’ own experience of abusive supervision) elicited third parties’ approach-oriented emotion (i.e., anger) and behaviors (i.e., direct communication with the supervisor and supervisor-directed deviance) as well as avoidance-oriented emotion (i.e., fear) and behavior (i.e., contact avoidance). Peer victimization moderated the effect of peer abusive supervision on third parties’ anger and the indirect effect on third parties’ approach-oriented behaviors via anger such that the indirect effect was attenuated when peer victimization was high rather than low.

When Employees Retaliate Against Self-Serving Leaders: The Influence of the Ethical Climate

Leaders have been shown to sometimes act self-servingly. Yet, leaders do not act in isolation and the perceptions of the ethical climate in which leaders operate is expected to contribute to employees taking counteractive measures against their leader (that is, employees’ desire for retaliation, and supervisor-directed deviance). We contend that in an ethical climate employees feel better equipped to stand up and take retaliation measures. Moreover, we argue that this is explained by employees’ feelings of trust. In two studies using different methods (an experimental study and a multi-source study), we predict and find evidence that the relationship between self-serving leader behavior and employees’ desire for retaliation and supervisor-directed deviance is stronger when the ethical climate is high rather than low. Moreover, we show that trust in the leader mediates these relationships.

Sparking Anger and Anxiety: Why Intense Leader Anger Displays Trigger Both More Deviance and Higher Work Effort in Followers

While previous research has assumed that intense leader anger displays result in negative consequences, researchers have recently started to outline their potential for prompting followers to improve their performance. We explain these conflicting positions by demonstrating that leaders’ anger intensity positively affects both deviance and work effort through triggering anger and anxiety in followers. We conducted two critical incident studies, replicating our results with different methodologies and controlling for potential alternative explanations. In line with theories on reciprocal emotions, supervisor-directed deviance became more likely with higher leader anger intensity because followers reacted with correspondingly more anger. However, in line with theories on complementary emotions, leaders’ anger intensity was also positively related to followers’ work effort due to followers’ anxiety. These results were replicated when taking leaders’ anger appropriateness into account as a potential moderator of the deviance-related path and when controlling for followers’ feelings of guilt (an alternative explanation for followers’ work effort). Our paper provides evidence that intense anger displays increase followers’ work effort but also cautions leaders to show these, as the work effort caused by them is based on followers’ intimidation and likely to be accompanied by deviant reactions. By considering the affective reactions triggered in followers, our paper integrates diverging theoretical perspectives on followers’ reactions to leaders’ anger intensity. Moreover, it is one of the first to disentangle the interpersonal effects that different expressions of the same emotion may have.

THE PREVALENCE AND COST OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR IN THE WORKPLACE TO BOTH ORGANIZATIONS AND EMPLOYEES

1. IntroductionDeviant workplace behaviors are prevalent in organizations, with most firms reporting diverse types of deviance-related behaviors, being an effect of the employee-co-worker exchange link. Negative reciprocity norms clarify why oppressed employees may be driven to reciprocate. Employees are influenced by a mixture of adverse reciprocity convictions in the workplace (Bratu, 2016a, b; Janzen, 2016; Peters, 2015) and other positions or reasons. Organizational employee's behaviors that breach strictly stipulated norms and defined the minimum quality and quantity of labor to be carried out bring about decreased efficiency of work productivity, e.g. suppressing effort for assignments, taking unnecessary recesses, and deliberately working sluggishly. (Zhang et al., 2015)2. The Intricate Character of Deviant Behavior in the WorkplacePeriodic episodes of co-workers' deviance behavior represent a social setting in which an individual is mingled and learns to function correspondingly. When an employee establish contact with others and inspects their conducts, the co-workers' production deviance straightforwardly impact the employee's production deviance. Organizations typically have norms that indicate a series of conducts that are associated with their employers' requirements (Buchely, 2016; Devine, 2015; Life, 2016), being devised either by corporation policies or by employee routines in the workplace. Few individuals exhibit production deviance, and the standard production behavior is outstanding in a high team atmosphere, while a low team one denotes that more individuals exhibit production deviance. Both of them transmit suggestions and messages to employees and carry out separate learning from others. (Zhang et al., 2015)Employees' opinions with regard to organizational human resource (HR) routines and work practices (job contentment) play an essential motivational function in clarifying individuals' commitment in deviance behavior. Interpersonal deviance is harmful to organizations and damaging to individuals' quality of work activity. HR routines of job description, employment security, and internal career chances (Lu et al., 2016; Friedman et al., 2016; Prowle and Harradine, 2015) have important connections with interpersonal deviance. Both contentment with concrete rewards and contentment with interpersonal links are associated with interpersonal deviance. Employees who are content are less expected to take part in interpersonal deviance. The features of job contentment have a direct link with interpersonal deviance and reconcile the rapport between outstanding HR routines and interpersonal deviance. (Shamsudin et al., 2014)The indirect consequence between abusive supervision and workplace deviance is contingent upon employee-based hostility, such that superior degrees of hostile beliefs and positions (Kets de Vries, 2015; Lucas, 2016; Ramcharan, 2016) raise the scale of the indirect consequence. Work-related negative affect serves as a conciliator within the abusive supervision and workplace deviance link, where perceived abusive supervision is associated with superior work-related negative affect, whereas the latter is associated with higher workplace deviance. The indirect consequence between abusive supervision and supervisor-directed deviance is contingent upon organizationbased hostility, such that superior degrees of hostile organizational norms raise the scale of the indirect consequence (controlling for prior degrees of trait annoyance and unfriendliness and hostile organizational norms). Work-related negative affect reconciles the abusive supervision and workplace deviance link, and takes place where perceived abusive supervision is associated with superior work-related negative affect, and the latter is associated with higher deviant behavior. This indirect consequence is contingent upon employeebased and organization-based hostility. (Michel et al., 2016)3. Precursors, Moderators, and Mediators of Workplace Deviant BehaviorAn unbiased team atmosphere does not supply well-defined incentives, backing, or normative requirements of conduct: separate behavior is mainly regulated by particular assessment on the pertinence of the performance. …