The Trickle-Down Effect of Abusive Supervision: The Moderating Effects of Supervisors’ Task Performance and Employee Promotion Focus

Abstract

<jats:p> Drawing on both social learning theory and conservation of resources theory, our research examines the trickle-down effect of abusive supervision across three hierarchical levels: managers, supervisors, and employees. Specifically, we investigate the positive relationship between abusive manager behavior and emotional exhaustion through abusive supervisor behavior. In addition, we explore supervisor task performance as a situational factor and employee promotion focus as an individual factor in the relationship between abusive supervisor behavior and emotional exhaustion. Using data from 190 supervisor–subordinate dyads, the results provide support for our trickle-down model of abusive supervision. Moreover, our results show that the positive relationship between abusive supervisor behavior and emotional exhaustion is stronger when supervisor task performance or employee promotion focus is high. Theoretical and applied implications are discussed. </jats:p>

The effect of toxic leadership on turnover intention and counterproductive work behaviour in Indonesia public organisations

“…This study confirmed some previous findings regarding the effect of leaders' toxicity on employees' deviant behaviours (Ahmad and Begum, 2020; Aryee et al. , 2007; Kim et al. , 2020; Mawritz et al.…”

“…This study confirmed some previous findings regarding the effect of leaders' toxicity on employees' deviant behaviours (Ahmad and Begum, 2020;Aryee et al, 2007;Kim et al, 2020;Mawritz et al, 2012;Mathieu and Babiak, 2016;Pradhan et al, 2019a,b;Richard et al, 2020). The results found that the employees' turnover intention partially mediated the effect of toxic leadership on employees' CWB.…”

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“…Nurses' supervisors are viewed as agents of the departments, making their actions influential in shaping nurses cognition and attitudes towards nursing work. The previous studies (Aryee et al., 2007; Kim et al., 2020) revealed that there is a trickle‐down effect from abusive supervision. In the nursing workplace, those nurses who have been mistreated by nurse' supervisors are more likely to abuse vulnerable targets in cascading pattern (Kim et al., 2008)—for example, patients, relatives or both—which in turn increases nurses' exposure to WPV.…”

“…Nurses' supervisors are viewed as agents of the departments, making their actions influential in shaping nurses cognition and attitudes towards nursing work. The previous studies (Aryee et al, 2007;Kim et al, 2020) revealed that there is a trickle-down effect from abusive supervision.…”

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