Subordinates’ negative workplace gossip leads to supervisor abuse: based on the conservation of resources theory

Abstract

Purpose Based on the conservation of resources (COR) theory, this paper aims to explore the potential influence of perceived subordinates’ negative workplace gossip on abusive supervision in China. Moreover, the COR theory helps in examining the mediating role of self-esteem threat and psychological distress and the moderating role of mindfulness on the effects of perceived subordinates’ negative workplace gossip on abusive supervision. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected from 305 supervisor-subordinate dyads in China using the time-lagged and multi-source methods and hierarchical regression analysis was used to analyze the data. Findings Results reveal that perceived subordinates’ negative workplace gossip is positively related to abusive supervision and the relationship is moderated by the supervisor’s traits of mindfulness. In addition, perceived subordinates’ negative workplace gossip has an indirect effect on abusive supervision via self-esteem threat (cognition) and psychological distress (emotion). Originality/value The study helps to understand the influence of perceived subordinates’ negative workplace gossip on abusive supervision based on the COR theory. At the same time, it also enriches the understanding of the internal mechanism between perceived subordinates’ negative workplace gossip and abusive supervision.

The background of restaurant employees’ revenge intention: supervisor incivility, organizational gossip, and blaming others

“…Supervisor incivility can damage employees' organizational loyalty, job and life satisfaction and increase work-life conflict and intention to resign (Tepper, 2000;Guchait et al, 2023). Moreover, supervisor incivility intensifies workplace gossip (organizational gossip; Ye et al, 2022), ego depletion and intention to quit (Yin et al, 2023), being silenced (Srivastava et al, 2023), job insecurity (Khalid et al, 2022) and employees' psychological distress (Dedahanov et al, 2022), well-being (Kuriakose et al, 2022) and diminishes self-respect and psychological distress (Ye et al, 2022).…”

“…Empirical research has shown that organizational gossip is associated with anger and shame (Zong et al , 2023), perceived organizational politics, compassion (Khan and Chaudhary, 2023), employees’ mental health and psychological capital (Cheng et al , 2023). Organizational gossip has a negative relationship with organizational identity (Xie et al , 2022) and threat to self-respect and a positive relationship with supervisor civility and psychological distress (Ye et al , 2022). Concurrently, there is a positive relationship between gossip and supervisor incivility and psychological distress, and a negative relationship with threat to self-respect (Ye et al , 2022).…”

“…Organizational gossip has a negative relationship with organizational identity (Xie et al , 2022) and threat to self-respect and a positive relationship with supervisor civility and psychological distress (Ye et al , 2022). Concurrently, there is a positive relationship between gossip and supervisor incivility and psychological distress, and a negative relationship with threat to self-respect (Ye et al , 2022). Previous studies have demonstrated that organizational gossip undermines organizational citizenship (Martinescu et al , 2021), impairs job performance (Xie et al , 2019) and increases emotion exhaustion and indifference (Georganta et al , 2014).…”

Perceived organizational politics, organizational disidentification and counterproductive work behaviour: moderating role of external crisis threats to work

“…The term “resources” is broadly defined in the COR theory, such that it captures any “objects, personal characteristics, conditions, or energies that are valued in their own right, or that are valued because they act as conduits to the achievement or protection of valued resources” (Hobfoll, 2001, p. 339). Yet a particularly pertinent resource, highly treasured by employees, according to Hobfoll’s (2001) influential theorizing and subsequent studies (Bentein et al , 2017; Ye et al , 2022), is organization-based self-esteem or the extent to which they have a positive image of themselves in relation to their work. But employees exposed to dysfunctional organizational politics suffer a diminished work-related sense of self-worth, because they feel excluded from decision-making processes and experience job uncertainty (De Clercq and Pereira, 2022b; Hasan et al , 2019).…”

Why Not All the Powerful Abuse? The Competitive Effects of Psychological Distance and Self-Control

“…The reasons leaders abuse their subordinates are mainly explored using two perspectives from the subordinate level (e.g., provocative behavior, anti-productive work behavior, high dependence, self-interest, passivity, and negative workplace gossip) (Tepper and Simon, 2015;Ye et al, 2021) and organizational level (e.g., poor relationships, negative organizational climates, and low organizational fairness) (Hoobler and Hu, 2013;Zhang and Bednall, 2016). However, researchers have recently turned their attention to investigating the antecedents of abusive supervision from supervisor-focused factors, such as supervisor traits or experiences (Peng et al, 2019).…”