Seeing from a short-term perspective: When and why daily abusive supervisor behavior yields functional and...

Area of Science:

• Organizational Behavior
• Psychology
• Management Studies

Background:

• Abusive supervision literature often focuses on negative outcomes.
• Previous research has hinted at potential short-term functional results of supervisory abuse.
• Understanding subordinate responses to daily abusive behavior is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and test a multilevel theory on subordinate responses to daily abusive supervision.
• To differentiate between functional and dysfunctional subordinate reactions.
• To explore the role of motive attribution in these responses.

Main Methods:

• Utilized two experience-sampling studies.
• Investigated the link between daily abusive supervision, motive attribution, and subsequent subordinate responses.
• Employed multilevel analysis to examine within-subordinate changes.

Main Results:

• When subordinates attributed abuse to performance motives, daily abusive behavior led to increased task reflexivity and next-day task performance.
• When subordinates attributed abuse to injury motives, daily abusive behavior resulted in rumination and increased next-day leader-directed deviance.
• Findings support the dual nature of subordinate responses to abusive supervision.

Conclusions:

• Daily abusive supervisor behavior can have both adaptive and maladaptive consequences.
• The perceived motive behind abusive supervision significantly influences subordinate reactions.
• Short-term gains from abusive supervision come at a considerable long-term cost to individuals and the organization.