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Reducing the Negative Effects of Abusive Supervision: A Step towards Organizational Sustainability

Author

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  • Xinqi Du

    (College of Business Administration, Shandong Technology and Business University, Yantai 264005, China)

  • Md Sohel Chowdhury

    (Department of Management Studies, University of Barishal, Barishal 8254, Bangladesh)

  • Dae-seok Kang

    (College of Business Administration, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea)

Abstract

This study aims to examine how to reduce the influence of abusive supervision on subordinates’ work alienation and psychological well-being (PWB). Integrating the perspectives of career development and resource conservation, subjective job mobility and regulatory focus were combined into two-dimensional structures to assess their moderating effects on the relationships. The study draws on a survey sample of 487 employees from the manufacturing and service industries in China. The key findings show that abusive supervision has a direct and indirect influence on PWB through work alienation. Regarding the moderating effects, only perceived interorganizational job mobility mitigates the positive effect of abusive supervision on work alienation. Interestingly, the three-way interactions that involve perceived intraorganizational job mobility–prevention focus or perceived interorganizational job mobility–promotion focus mitigate the negative effects of work alienation on PWB. From these findings, we discussed the implications of a step towards organizational sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Xinqi Du & Md Sohel Chowdhury & Dae-seok Kang, 2022. "Reducing the Negative Effects of Abusive Supervision: A Step towards Organizational Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2022:i:1:p:19-:d:1008792
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Jeremy D. Mackey & Lei Huang & Wei He, 2020. "You Abuse and I Criticize: An Ego Depletion and Leader–Member Exchange Examination of Abusive Supervision and Destructive Voice," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 164(3), pages 579-591, July.
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    Cited by:

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