Is abusive supervision always harmful toward creativity? Managing workplace stressors by promoting distributive and procedural justice

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zubair Akram ◽  
Saima Ahmad ◽  
Umair Akram ◽  
Muhammad Asghar ◽  
Tao Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Procedural Justice ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Abusive Supervision ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Conservation Of Resources ◽  
Employee Creativity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Workplace Stressors

Purpose This paper aims to answer the question of how, why and when abusive supervision affects employee creativity. Drawing on the conservation of resources theory, this paper examines the direct and indirect (via psychological distress) effects of abusive supervision on employee creativity. It further investigates the boundary conditions imposed by employees’ perceived distributive and procedural justice in the relationships between abusive supervision, psychological distress and employee creativity. Design/methodology/approach The study uses multi-sourced and time-lagged data collected in three waves from a survey of employees-supervisor dyads working in the Chinese manufacturing sector. In the first wave, the authors received data from 347 employees on perceived abusive supervision and perceived distributive and procedural justice. In the second wave, 320 employees shared their perceptions of psychological distress at work. In the third wave, the authors received ratings for employee creativity from the direct supervisors of 300 employees. The data were analyzed using bootstrapped moderated mediation procedures. Findings The findings revealed a significant negative influence of abusive supervision on employee creativity both directly and indirectly in the presence of perceived psychological distress. However, distributive and procedural justice was found to mitigate the negative impact of abusive supervision on employee creativity. Practical implications Abusive supervision has adverse consequences for employees’ creativity because it affects their psychological health. HR and top management should prioritize addressing abusive supervision first and foremost to boost employee creativity in the workplace. Managers should give employees opportunities for participation and foster a climate of fairness in the organization to mitigate the harmful consequences of abusive supervision. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first empirical study that examines the psychological distress-based mechanism in the relationship between abusive supervision and creativity while considering the interactive effects of distributive and procedural justice. It addresses an important research gap in the literature by proposing that organizational perceived distributive and procedural justice can mitigate the detrimental effects of abusive supervision.

Subordinates’ negative workplace gossip leads to supervisor abuse: based on the conservation of resources theory

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cunjun Ye ◽  
Bin He ◽  
Xu Sun
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Abusive Supervision ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Conservation Of Resources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Internal Mechanism ◽  
Time Lagged

Purpose Based on the conservation of resources (COR) theory, this paper aims to explore the potential influence of perceived subordinates’ negative workplace gossip on abusive supervision in China. Moreover, the COR theory helps in examining the mediating role of self-esteem threat and psychological distress and the moderating role of mindfulness on the effects of perceived subordinates’ negative workplace gossip on abusive supervision. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected from 305 supervisor-subordinate dyads in China using the time-lagged and multi-source methods and hierarchical regression analysis was used to analyze the data. Findings Results reveal that perceived subordinates’ negative workplace gossip is positively related to abusive supervision and the relationship is moderated by the supervisor’s traits of mindfulness. In addition, perceived subordinates’ negative workplace gossip has an indirect effect on abusive supervision via self-esteem threat (cognition) and psychological distress (emotion). Originality/value The study helps to understand the influence of perceived subordinates’ negative workplace gossip on abusive supervision based on the COR theory. At the same time, it also enriches the understanding of the internal mechanism between perceived subordinates’ negative workplace gossip and abusive supervision.

Abusive supervision and job outcomes: a moderated mediation study

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sajeet Pradhan ◽  
Lalatendu Kesari Jena
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Exhaustion ◽  
Abusive Supervision ◽  
Moderated Mediation ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Intention To Quit ◽  
Conservation Of Resources ◽  
Coworker Support ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Indirect Relationship

Purpose Based on the conservation of resources theory, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the linkage between abusive supervision (a workplace stressor) and subordinate’s intention to quit by focusing on the mediating role of emotional exhaustion. The study also explores the conditional mediation model by testing the moderational role of perceived coworker support on the mediated abusive supervision-intention to quit relationship via emotional exhaustion. Design/methodology/approach To test the proposed hypotheses, the study draws data from 382 healthcare employees working in several hospitals and clinics in the eastern and north-eastern states of India. The authors collected data on the predictor and criterion variables at two time points with a separation of three to four weeks in a reversed order to counter priming effect. Findings The findings of the study reported that emotional exhaustion partially mediated the abusive supervision-intention to quit relationship. The result also supported the assertion that perceived coworker support will moderate the relationship between abusive supervision and subordinate’s intention to quit. The authors also found support to the moderated mediation hypothesis, that suggest perceived coworker support will reduce the mediating effect of abusive supervision-intention to quit relationship via emotional exhaustion. Originality/value This study is among few empirical investigations to investigate and report the interactional effect of perceived coworker support (a buffer) on the indirect relationship between abusive supervision and subordinate’s intention to quit via emotional exhaustion.

Dear top management, please don’t make me a cynic: intention to sabotage

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (10) ◽  
pp. 1266-1286 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Mohammed Abubakar ◽  
Huseyin Arasli
Keyword(s):  
Procedural Justice ◽  
Conservation Of Resources ◽  
Differentiated Service ◽  
Work Processes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Service Sabotage ◽  
Employee Cynicism ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The conceptualization of service sabotage failed to adequately tap the domain of interest. Phenomena like turnover and service sabotage are difficult to measure and are not suitable for individual-level study. However, “intention” is suitable for individual-level or management-oriented studies. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach A new scale (eight items) to measure the intention to sabotage was developed and tested using a sample of bank (n=313) and insurance (n=258) employees in Nigeria. Cynicism and the desire for justice are the roots of sabotage. As such, the inability to stabilize institutionalized work processes and procedures may cause employees to be overcome with the intention to sabotage service, prior to the actual sabotage. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, this paper investigates the impact of employee cynicism on intention to sabotage as moderated by procedural justice. Findings The analyses suggest that employee cynicism is related to the intention to sabotage, and procedural justice moderates the relationship between employee cynicism and intention to sabotage. The findings endorse the model of interest, and implications of this study for research and practice are discussed. Originality/value The study differentiated service sabotage from intention to sabotage, and developed and tested a scale to measure the intention to sabotage.

Workplace cyberbullying and creativity: examining the roles of psychological distress and psychological capital

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Masood Nawaz Kalyar ◽  
Munazza Saeed ◽  
Aydin Usta ◽  
Imran Shafique
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Psychological Capital ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Workplace Stressors ◽  
Harmful Effects ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to investigate the effects of workplace cyberbullying on creativity directly and through psychological distress. Furthermore, this study proposes that psychological capital (PsyCap) buffers the harmful effects of workplace cyberbullying on psychological distress and creativity. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected in two waves from 329 nurses working in four large public hospitals located in a metropolitan city of Pakistan. The data were analyzed through PROCESS (Model 8) using SPSS. Findings The results demonstrate that cyberbullying negatively affects creativity through increased psychological distress. The findings also explicate that PsyCap moderates the effects of cyberbullying on psychological distress such that the link was weak (vs strong) for those (victims) who had high (vs low) PsyCap. Practical implications This study recommends management to develop and promote PsyCap among employees because these positive resources help them to regulate their emotions and cognition to overcome negative consequences of cyberbullying and other workplace stressors. Originality/value Psychological distress as an underlying mechanism between cyberbullying and creativity as well as buffering effect of PsyCap is the novelty of the study.

The effects of interpersonal attraction on service justice

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 728-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwon-Soo Kim
Keyword(s):  
Distributive Justice ◽  
Procedural Justice ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Interpersonal Attraction ◽  
Interactional Justice ◽  
Social Attraction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Staff ◽  
Physical Attraction ◽  
And Task

Purpose This study aims to examine the effects of physical attraction, social attraction and task attraction, which are interpersonal attraction components of service staff, on interactional justice, procedural justice and distributive justice, all of which are components of service justice. Design/methodology/approach This study was conducted after deriving measurement tools through two preliminary studies. The research sample was made by those who have visited the restaurant where the service staff provides services directly to the customers. Respondents were instructed by investigators to complete the questionnaire based on their most recent visit to the most visited restaurants in the past three months. They received a $5 gift voucher after completing the questionnaire. Findings Physical attraction negatively affected interactional justice, procedural justice and distributive justice. Social attraction had a negative impact on procedural justice. Task attraction had the greatest positive impact on all service justice factors. Practical implications To attract customers’ positive perceptions of service execution and outcomes, task attraction should be considered first rather than physical attraction and social attraction of service staff. Originality/value This study expanded the scope of research on interpersonal attraction by studying physical attraction, social attraction and task attraction as interpersonal attraction factors at service encounters, and on service justice by setting the interpersonal attraction as a variable affecting service justice.

Can subordinate voice prevail with abusive supervision?

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (7) ◽  
pp. 773-786
Author(s):  
K.V. Gopakumar ◽  
Sweta Singh
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Abusive Supervision ◽  
Resource Acquisition ◽  
Employee Voice ◽  
Conservation Of Resources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Extant Literature ◽  
Acquisition Strategies ◽  
Present Understanding ◽  
Voice Relationship

Purpose Drawing from conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study aims to explain why certain voice types prevail while other voice types are inhibited in the presence of abusive supervision. Design/methodology/approach This paper surveys extant literature on abusive supervision, employee voice and COR theory and provides propositions linking abusive supervision and types of voice behaviours. Findings The paper develops a conceptual model linking abusive supervision and three types of subordinate voice behaviours – prosocial, defensive and acquiescent voices. It identifies psychological distress as a mediator and locus of control as a moderator to this relationship. Originality/value This paper deepens our present understanding of abusive supervision and voice relationship by explaining why only certain voice types prevail with abusive supervision while others do not. While extant literature concluded abusive supervision only as an inhibitor of voice behaviours, the present study identifies how abusive supervision could both inhibit and motivate different voice behaviours. Further, it links abusive supervision to multiple voice types, diverting from extant literature linking abusive supervision to only constructive voice. Lastly, this study contributes to resource acquisition strategies within COR theory.

Goal clarity as a link between humble leadership and project success: the interactive effects of organizational culture

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mudassar Ali ◽  
Zhang Li ◽  
Dilawar Khan Durrani ◽  
Adnan Muhammad Shah ◽  
Waqas Khuram
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Conservation Of Resources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Goal Clarity ◽  
Time Lagged ◽  
Humble Leadership

PurposeUsing the lens of conservation of resources (COR) theory, the purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of humble leadership on project success by integrating the mediating role of goal clarity. The authors also argue that organizational culture moderates these direct and indirect relationships through goal clarity.Design/methodology/approachTime-lagged data were collected from 329 employees in the civil construction sector of Pakistan.FindingsThe results indicate that humble leadership enhances project success through mediating and moderating mechanisms.Research limitations/implicationsThe present research ends with an argument, managerial consequences, limits and guidance for future research.Practical implicationsThe results influence a project-based organization on the selection and promotion of humility among project managers.Originality/valueThis research answers the following research question, which has been ignored in the literature: What are the suggested mechanisms for humble leadership in promoting project success?

Thinking styles affect reactions to brand crisis apologies

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 1263-1289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liangyan Wang ◽  
Shijian Wang ◽  
L. Robin Keller ◽  
Jie Li
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Thinking Styles ◽  
Thinking Style ◽  
Process Information ◽  
Perceived Efficacy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Crisis ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This article aims to examine how a person’s thinking style, specifically holistic versus analytic, and a firm’s crisis apology with the remedial solution framed in “why” (vs “how”) terms can interactively impact consumers’ perceived efficacy of the firm to respond to the crisis and their impression or evaluation of the brand. Design/methodology/approach Hypotheses were tested through three experimental studies involving 308 participants recruited in China. Participants answered survey questions investigating the interactive effects from consumers’ thinking style (culture as a proxy in Study 1, measured in Study 2 or primed in Study 3) and a brand’s crisis apology with the remedial solution framed in “why” (vs “how”) terms on consumers’ perceived efficacy and evaluation of the firm. Findings The frame of the remedial solution resulting in a higher evaluation improvement depended on a consumer’s thinking style. For holistic thinkers, a “why” (vs “how”) framed remedial solution resulted in a higher evaluation improvement; however, for analytic thinkers, a “how” (vs “why”) framed remedial solution resulted in a higher evaluation improvement. Additionally, the results showed that a consumer’s perceived efficacy of the brand being able to successfully respond to the crisis mediated the interactive effects of the remedial solution framing and thinking styles on the evaluation improvement. Practical Implications The findings provide evidence that framing of the remedial solution can be leveraged as a tool to reduce negative impact resulting from a brand crisis. Specifically, the results suggest that companies may do well to employ a “why” framed remedial solution, particularly in cases where consumers are likely to process information holistically. Conversely, a “how” framed remedial solution may be effective in situations where consumers are likely to process information analytically. Originality/value This research contributes to the literature, being among the first to consider how the remedial solution framing in a firm’s apology can enhance people’s evaluation of the brand and decrease the perceived negative impact resulting from the brand crisis.

Abusive supervision and employee creativity

2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 130-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenxing Liu ◽  
Pengcheng Zhang ◽  
Jianqiao Liao ◽  
Po Hao ◽  
Jianghua Mao
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Organizational Identification ◽  
Psychological Safety ◽  
Abusive Supervision ◽  
Social Identification ◽  
Employee Creativity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Identification Theory ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – Prior researches have indicated that leadership had an important impact on employee creativity. However, the authors know little about the link between the dark side of leadership-abusive supervision, and employee creativity, as well as its underlying mechanisms. Combining psychological safety theory and social identification theory, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between abusive supervision and employee creativity and the mediating role of psychological safety and organizational identification between abusive supervision and employee creativity. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted a multi-source and time-lagged data collection. At Time 1, team members evaluated abusive supervision and psychological safety, and at Time 2, team members evaluated organization identification, and team leaders evaluated members’ creativity. Abusive supervision, psychological safety were evaluated at first stage and organizational identification, creativity were evaluated at second stage, being conducted 2-4 weeks later after the first stage. Finally 423 participants completed two waves of data collection. Findings – The results suggested that, abusive supervision had negative effects on psychological safety and organizational identification, and psychological safety partially mediated the relationship between abusive supervision and organizational identification, and organizational identification fully mediated the relationship between psychological safety and creativity, and the negative effect of abusive supervision on employee creativity was mediated by psychological safety and then by organizational identification. Originality/value – This study identifies and examines the mechanism underlying the effect of abusive supervision, and suggests that psychological safety and organizational identification are two important mediators of the complex relationship between abusive supervision and employee creativity. Therefore, this study not only re-examines the inconsistent effect of abusive supervision on employee creativity, but also represents the first attempt at integrating the psychological safety perspective and social identification theory to study employee creativity and offers important implications for theory development.

Using hybrid SEM – artificial intelligence

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Mohammed Abubakar
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Generational Differences ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Service Industry ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Psychological State ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Conservation Of Resources ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Boreout is a psychological state of intense boredom and apathy. Characterized by the absence of mental stimuli (i.e. menial tasks) required to keep employees conscious about their environment, and this incessant decline in mental stimuli may turn employees into “professional zombies.” The diversity in work needs and preferences across generations has become a key organizational factor, generational differences have been studied in Western countries, not much information is available about generational cohorts and satisfaction (i.e. career, life and job satisfaction) in developing countries. The purpose of this paper is to provide more insights on these phenomena. Design/methodology/approach Drawing upon conservation of resources theory, this paper examines the potential effects of boreout on important job outcomes (i.e. career, life and job satisfaction) conditioned by generation (Gen-Xers and Gen-Yers) in the service industry. Data analyses with Artificial Intelligence technique (i.e. artificial neural network) and structural equation modeling were conducted with data collated from Nigerian service employees. Findings Results revealed that boreout has a negative impact on career, life and job satisfaction. The hypothesized relationships were significantly moderated by generation cohorts as Gen-Xers and Gen-Yers were found to be distinct cohorts. Originality/value This paper advocates that non-western organizations should avoid utmost service standardization and rigid stylization of work processes and procedures.

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