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Abusive supervision and family undermining as displaced aggression
Jenny M Hoobler1, Daniel J Brass
1Department of Managerial Studies, College of Business Administration, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. jhoobler@uic.edu
The Journal of Applied Psychology
|September 7, 2006
Summary
Abusive supervision, a form of aggression, stems from supervisors' psychological contract violations, influenced by hostile attribution bias. This workplace abuse negatively impacts subordinates and their families at home.
Area of Science:
- Organizational Psychology
- Workplace Behavior
- Aggression Studies
Background:
- Abusive supervision is a significant workplace issue with far-reaching consequences.
- The
- kick the dog
- anecdote illustrates displaced aggression, suggesting external stressors can lead to workplace mistreatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the factors contributing to abusive supervision.
- To examine the impact of abusive supervision on subordinates and their family members.
- To test the role of psychological contract violations and hostile attribution bias in abusive supervision.
Main Methods:
- Survey data collected from 210 supervisors, their subordinates, and subordinates' family members.
- Statistical analysis to examine the relationships between psychological contract violations, hostile attribution bias, abusive supervision, and family impact.
- Hypothesis testing based on established psychological theories.
Main Results:
- Supervisors' reports of psychological contract violations, moderated by hostile attribution bias, were significantly associated with subordinates' perceptions of abusive supervision.
- Abused subordinates' family members reported experiencing sustained negative affect and negative evaluations.
- The study's hypotheses were supported, confirming the proposed model.
Conclusions:
- Psychological contract violations and hostile attribution bias are key predictors of abusive supervision.
- Abusive supervision has detrimental effects that extend beyond the workplace, affecting family dynamics.
- Understanding these dynamics is crucial for developing interventions to mitigate workplace aggression and its consequences.
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