The relationship between abusive supervision and organizational trust: The role of subordinates’ self-esteem
Abstract
organizational costs. As such, there is a need for additional studies that identify the individuals’ factors
that can minimize the adverse effects of abusive supervision.
Specifically, we predict employee self-esteem as a buffer of the relationship between abusive
supervision, organizational trust and in-role behaviors. Additionally, we suggest organizational trust
as a possible mechanism linking abusive supervision to in-role behaviors. Our model was explored
among a sample of 201 supervisor-subordinate dyads from different organizational settings. The results
of the moderated mediation analysis supported our hypotheses. That is, abusive supervision was
significantly related to in-role behaviors via organizational trust when employees’ self-esteem was
low, but not when it was high. These findings suggest that self-esteem buffers the impact of abusive
supervision perceptions on organizational trust, with consequences for performance.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Aiken, L., & West, S. (1991). Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Altınöz, M., Çakıroğlu, D., & Çöp, S. (2013). Effects of talent management on organizational trust: A field study. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 99, 843-851.
Aryee, S., Budhwar, P., & Chen, Z. (2002). Trust as a mediator of the relationship between organizational justice and work outcomes: Test of a social exchange model. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 23, 267-285. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1002/job.138
Aryee, S., Chen, Z., Sun, L., & Debrah, Y. (2007). Antecedents and outcomes of abusive supervision: Test of a trickle-down model. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 191-201. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.1.191
Bai, Q., Lin, W., & Wang, L. (2016). Family incivility and counterproductive work behavior: A moderated mediation model of self-esteem and emotional regulation. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 94, 11-19. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2016.02.014
Becker, T. (2005). Potential problems in the statistical control of variables in organizational research: A qualitative analysis with recommendations. Organizational Research Methods, 8, 274-289.
Blau, P. (1964). Exchange and power in social life. New York, NY: Wiley.
Braun, S., Peus, C., Weisweiler, S., & Frey, D. (2013). Transformational leadership, job satisfaction, and team performance: A multilevel mediation model of trust. The Leadership Quarterly, 24, 270-283. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2012.11.006
Bowling, N. A., Eschleman, K. J., Wang, Q., Kirkendall, C., & Alarcon, G. (2010). A meta‐analysis of the predictors and consequences of organization‐based self‐esteem. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 83, 601-626. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1348/096317909X454382
Bowling, N. A., & Michel, J. S. (2011). Why do you treat me badly? The effects of target attributions on responses to abusive supervision. Work & Stress, 25, 309-320. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2011.634281
Brockner, J. (1983). Low self-esteem and behavioral plasticity: Some implications. Review of Personality and Social Psychology, 4, 237-271.
Burton, J. P., & Hoobler, J. M. (2006). Subordinate self-esteem and abusive supervision. Journal of Managerial Issues, 3, 340-355.
Busemeyer, J. R., & Jones, L. E. (1983). Analysis of multiplicative combination rules when the causal variables are measured with error. Psychological Bulletin, 93, 549.
Chen, Z. X., & Wang, H. Y. (2017). Abusive supervision and employees’ job performance: A multiple mediation model. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 45, 845-858. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.5657
Cohen, J., Cohen, P., West, S. G., & Aiken, L. S. (2003). Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences (3rd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Eisenberger, R., & Stinglhamber, F. (2011). Perceived organizational support: Fostering enthusiastic and productive employees. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association Books. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1037/12318-000
Eisenberger, R., Stinglhamber, F., Vandenberghe, C., Sucharski, I. L., & Rhoades, L. (2002). Perceived supervisor support: Contributions to perceived organizational support and employee retention. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87, 565-573. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.3.565
Erdem, F. (2003). Optimal trust and teamwork: From groupthink to teamthink. Work Study, 52, 229-233. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1108/00438020310485958
Ferrin, D., & Dirks, K. (2002). Trust in leadership: Meta-analytic findings and implications for research and practice. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87, 611-628. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.4.611
Frieder, R., Wayne, A., Hochwarter, W., & DeOrtentiis, P. (2015). Attenuating the negative effects of abusive supervision: The role of proactive voice behavior and resource management ability. The Leadership Quarterly, 26, 821-837. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2015.06.001
Gabarro, J., & Athos, P. (1978). Interpersonal relationships and communication. New York: Prentice-Hall.
Gardner, D. G., & Pierce, J. L. (1998). Self-esteem and self-efficacy within the organizational context: An empirical examination. Group & Organization Management, 23, 48-70.
Gilbert, J. A., & Tang, T. L. (1998). An examination of organizational trust antecedents. Public Personnel Management, 27, 321-338.
Gillespie, N. A., & Mann, L. (2004). Transformational leadership and shared values: The building blocks of trust. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 19, 588-607. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940410551507
Gonzalez-Morales, M. G., Kernan, M. C., Becker, T. E., & Eisenberger, R. (2018). Defeating abusive supervision: Training supervisors to support subordinates. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 23, 151-162. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000061
Goodwin, V. L., Whittington, J. L., Murray, B., & Nichols, T. (2011). Moderator or mediator? Examining the role of trust in the transformational leadership paradigm. Journal of Managerial Issues, 23, 409-425.
Gouldner, A. (1960). The norm of reciprocity. American Sociological Review, 25, 165-167.
Hansen, S. S., Dunford, B., Boss, A., Boss, R. R., & Angermeier, I. (2011). Corporate social responsibility and the benefits of employee trust: A cross-disciplinary perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 102, 29-45. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-0903-0
Harris, K. J., Kacmar, M. K., & Zivnuska, S. (2007). An investigation of abusive supervision as a predictor of performance and the meaning of work as a moderator of the relationship. The Leadership Quarterly, 18, 252-263.
Harvey, P., Stoner, J., Hochwarter, W., & Kacmar, C. (2007). Coping with abusive supervision: The neutralizing effects of ingratiation and positive affect on negative employee outcomes. The Leadership Quarterly, 18, 264-280. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2007.03.008
Hayes, A. F. (2012). PROCESS: A versatile computational tool for observed variable mediation, moderation, and conditional process modeling. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Hayes, A. F. (2013). Introduction to mediation, moderation and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Heatherton, T. F., & Polivy, J. (1991). Development and validation of a scale for measuring state self-esteem. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60, 895-910.
Hoobler, J. M., & Hu, J. (2013). A model of injustice, abusive supervision, and negative affect. The Leadership Quarterly, 24, 256-269.
Lee, C., Ashford, S., & Bobko, P. (1990). Interactive effects of “type A” behavior and perceived control on worker performance, job satisfaction, and somatic complaints. Academy of Management Journal, 33, 870-881.
Legood, A., Thomas, G., & Sacramento, C. (2016). Leader trustworthy behavior and organizational trust: The role of the immediate manager for cultivating trust. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 46, 673-686. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12394
Liu, J., Hui, C., Lee, C., & Chen, Z. X. (2013). Why do I feel valued and why do I contribute? A relational approach to employee’s organization‐based self‐esteem and job performance. Journal of Management Studies, 50, 1018-1040. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12037
Locke, E. A., McClear, K., & Knight, D. (1996). Self-esteem and work. In C. Cooper & I. T. Robertson (Eds.), International review of industrial and organizational psychology (pp. 1-32). Chichester: Wiley & Sons.
Mackey, J., Ellen III, B., Hochwarter, W., & Ferris, G. (2013). Subordinate social adaptability and the consequences of abusive supervision perceptions in two samples. The Leadership Quarterly, 24, 732-746. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2013.07.003
Mackey, J. D., Frieder, R. E., Brees, J. R., & Martinko, M. J. (2017). Abusive supervision: A meta-analysis and empirical review. Journal of Management, 43, 1940-1965. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206315573997
MacKinnon, D. P., Lockwood, C. M., & Williams, J. (2004). Confidence limits for the indirect effect: Distribution of the product and resampling methods. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 39, 99-128. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327906mbr3901_4
Martin, R., Guillaume, Y., Thomas, G., Lee, A., & Epitropaki, O. (2016). Leader-member exchange (LMX) and performance: A meta‐analytic review. Personnel Psychology, 69, 67-121. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12100
Martinko, M. J., Harvey, P., Brees, J. R., & Mackey, J. (2013). A review of abusive supervision research. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 34, S120-S137. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1002/job.1888
Maurer, T. J., Hartnell, C. A., & Lippstreu, M. (2017). A model of leadership motivations, error management culture, leadership capacity, and career success. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 90, 481-507. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12181
Mayer, R. C., & Gavin, M. B. (2005). Trust in management and performance: Who minds the shop while the employees watch the boss?. Academy of Management Journal, 48, 874-888.
Morgan-Lopez, A., & MacKinnon, D. (2006). Demonstration and evaluation of a method for assessing mediated moderation. Behavior Research Methods, 38, 77-87.
Muller, D., Judd, C., & Yzerbyt, V. (2005). When moderation is mediated and mediation is moderated. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89, 852-863. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.89.6.852
Neves, P. (2014). Taking it out on survivors: Submissive employees, downsizing, and abusive supervision. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 87, 507-534. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12061
Ng, T. W. H., & Feldman, D. C. (2008). The relationship of age to ten dimensions of job performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93, 392-423. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.93.2.392
Ng, T. W. H, & Feldman, D. C. (2009). How broadly does education contribute to job performance?. Personnel Psychology, 62, 89-134.
Ng, T. W. H., & Feldman, D. C. (2010). Organizational tenure and job performance. Journal of Management, 36, 1220-1250. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206309359809
Ng, T. W., Sorensen, K. L., & Eby, L. T. (2006). Locus of control at work: A meta‐analysis. Journal of Organizational Behavior: The International Journal of Industrial, Occupational and Organizational Psychology and Behavior, 27, 1057-1087.
Nübold, A., Muck, P. M., & Maier, G. W. (2013). A new substitute for leadership? Followers’ state core self-evaluations. The Leadership Quarterly, 24, 29-44. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2012.07.002
Nunnally, J. C. (1978). Psychometric theory (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Ogunfowora, B. (2013). When the abuse is unevenly distributed: The effects of abusive supervision variability on work attitudes and behaviors. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 34, 1105-1123. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1002/job.1841
Otken, A. B., & Cenkci, T. (2012). The impact of paternalistic leadership on ethical climate: The moderating role of trust in leader. Journal of Business Ethics, 108, 525-536. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-1108-2
Pierce, J. L., & Gardner, D. G. (2004). Self-esteem within the work and organizational context: A review of the organization-based self-esteem literature. Journal of Management, 30, 591-622. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jm.2003.10.001
Pierce, J. L., Gardner, D. G., Dunham, R. B., & Cummings, L. L. (1993). Moderation by organization-based self-esteem of role condition-employee response relationships. Academy of Management Journal, 36, 271-288.
Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2012). Sources of method bias in social science research and recommendations on how to control it. Annual review of psychology, 63, 539-569. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100452
Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2004). SPSS and SAS procedures for estimating indirect effects in simple mediation models. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 36, 717-731.
Preacher, K., Rucker, D., & Hayes, A. (2007). Addressing moderated mediation hypotheses: Theory, methods, and prescriptions. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 42, 185-227. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/00273170701341316
Rafferty, A., Restubog, S., & Jimmieson, N. (2010). Losing sleep: Examining the cascading effects of supervisors’ experience of injustice on subordinates’ psychological health. Work and Stress, 24, 36-55. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/02678371003715135
Rank, J., Nelson, N. E., Allen, T. D., & Xu, X. (2009). Leadership predictors of innovation and task performance: Subordinates’ self-esteem and self-presentation as moderators. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 82, 465-489. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1348/096317908X371547
Reknes, I., Visockaite, G., Liefooghe, A., Lovakov, A., & Einarsen, S. V. (2019). Locus of control moderates the relationship between exposure to bullying behaviors and psychological strain. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01323
Rhoades, L., & Eisenberger, R. (2002). Perceived organizational support: A review of the literature. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87, 698. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.4.698
Robinson, S. (1996). Trust and breach of psychological contract. Administrative Science Quarterly, 41, 574-599.
Rosenberg, M. (1979). Conceiving the self. New York: Basic Books.
Rousseau, D. M., Sitkin, S. B., Burt, R. S., & Camerer, C. (1998). Not so different after all: A cross-discipline view of trust. Academy of Management Review, 23, 393-404.
Roth, P. L., Purvis, K. L., & Bobko, P. (2012). A meta-analysis of gender group differences for measures of job performance in field studies. Journal of Management, 38, 719-739. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206310374774
Rotter, J. (1966). Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement. Psychological Monographs, 80, 1-28.
Schaubhut, N., Adams, G. A., & Jex, S. M. (2004). Self-esteem as a moderator of the relationships between abusive supervision and two forms of workplace deviance. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial Organizational Psychology, Chicago.
Shoss, M. K., Eisenberger, R., Restubog, S. L. D., & Zagenczyk, T. J. (2013). Blaming the organization for abusive supervision: The roles of perceived organizational support and supervisor’s organizational embodiment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98, 158-168.
Shrout, P., & Bolger, N. (2002). Mediation in experimental and nonexperimental studies: New procedures and recommendations. Psychological Methods, 7, 422-445. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1037/1082-989X.7.4.422
Slemp, G. R., Kern, M. L., Patrick, K. J., & Ryan, R. M. (2018). Leader autonomy support in the workplace: A meta-analytic review. Motivation and Emotion, 42, 706-724. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-018-9698-y
Sonnentag, S., Volmer, J., & Spychala, A. (2008). Job performance. In C. L. Cooper & J. Barling (Eds.), Sage handbook of organizational behavior (vol. 1, pp. 427-447). Los Angels, CA: Sage.
Spector, P. E. (1982). Behavior in organizations as a function of employee’s locus of control. Psychological Bulletin, 91, 482-497.
Spector, P. E., Cooper, C. L., Sanchez, J. I., O’Driscoll, M., & Sparks, K. (2002). Locus of control and wellbeing at work: How generalizable are Western findings. Academy of Management Journal, 45, 453-466.
Tan, H. H., & Lim, A. K. H. (2009). Trust in coworkers and trust in organizations. Journal of Psychology, 143, 45-66. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.3200/JRLP.143.1.45-66
Tepper, B. J. (2000). Consequences of abusive supervision. Academy of Management Journal, 43, 178-190.
Tepper, B. J. (2007). Abusive supervision in work organizations: Review, synthesis, and directions for future research. Journal of Management, 33, 261-289. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206307300812
Tepper, B., Carr, J., Breaux, D., Geider, S., Hu, C., & Hua, W. (2009). Abusive supervision, intentions to quit, and employees’ workplace deviance: A power/dependence analysis. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 109, 156-167. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2009.03.004
Tepper, B. J., Duffy, M. K., & Shaw, J. D. (2001). Personality moderators of the relationships between abusive supervision and subordinates’ resistance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 974-983. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.86.5.974
Tepper, B. J., Henle, C. A., Lambert, L. S., Giacalone, R. A., & Duffy, M. K. (2008). Abusive supervision and subordinates’ organization deviance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93, 721-732.
Thau, S., Bennett, R., Mitchell, M., & Marrs, M. (2009). How management style moderates the relationship between abusive supervision and workplace deviance: An uncertainty management theory perspective. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 108, 79-92. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2008.06.003
Uslu, F., & Oklay, E. (2015). The effect of leadership leadership on organizational trust. In E. Karadağ (Ed.), Leadership and organizational outcomes (pp. 81-95). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Vogel, R. M., & Mitchell, M. S. (2017). The motivational effects of diminished self-esteem for employees who experience abusive supervision. Journal of Management, 43, 2218-2251. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206314566462
Waldman, D. A., & Avolio, B. J. (1986). A meta-analysis of age differences in job performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71, 33-38.
Wei, F., & Si, S. (2013). Tit for tat? Abusive supervision and counterproductive work behaviors: The moderating effects of locus of control and perceived mobility. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 30, 281-296. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/s10490-011-9251-y
Williams, L. J., & Anderson, S. E. (1991). Job satisfaction and organizational commitment as predictors of organizational citizenship and in-role behavior. Journal of Management, 17, 601-617.
Williams, L. J., Cote, J. A., & Buckley, M. R. (1989). Lack of method variance in self-reported affect and perceptions at work: Reality or artifact?. Journal of Applied Psychology, 74, 462.
Yam, K. C., Fehr, R., Keng-Highberger, F. T., Klotz, A. C., & Reynolds, S. J. (2016). Out of control: A self-control perspective on the link between surface acting and abusive supervision. Journal of Applied Psychology, 101, 292-301. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000043
Yammarino, F. J., Dionne, S. D., Chun, J. U., & Dansereau, F. (2005). Leadership and levels of analysis: A state-of-the-science review. The Leadership Quarterly, 16, 879-919. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.09.002
Yang, Y. C. (2012). High-involvement human resource practices, affective commitment, and organizational citizenship behaviors. The Service Industries Journal, 32, 1209-1227. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2010.545875
Zhang, Y., & Liao, Z. (2015). Consequences of abusive supervision: A meta-analytic review. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 32, 959-987. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/s10490-015-9425-0
Zhou, L. (2016). Abusive supervision and work performance: The moderating role of abusive supervision variability. Social Behavior and Personality, 44, 1089-1098. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2016.44.7.1089
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14417/ap.1738
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Nº ERC: 107494 | ISSN (in print): 0870-8231 | ISSN (online): 1646-6020 | Copyright © ISPA - CRL, 2012 | Rua Jardim do Tabaco, 34, 1149-041 Lisboa | NIF: 501313672 | The portal and metadata are licensed under the license Creative Commons CC BY-NC
