Retribution or reconciliation: investigating employees’ responses to abusive supervision

Abusive supervision has been linked to a number of negative employee-related issues, including work-related issues such as counterproductive work behaviors and decreased job performance, and non-work related issues, such as work-family conflict, psychological stress, emotional exhaustion, excessive drinking, and health problems. Extant literature has suggested that based on Social Exchange Theory, employees who are victimized by abusive supervision are more likely to engage in workplace deviant behaviors, a response to the abusive supervision. However, from the standpoint of justice maintenance, engaging in workplace deviant behaviors represents the “process” of justice restoration, leaving the “outcome” of justice restoration yet to be examined. In this dissertation, I proposed the reconciliation of the relationship between supervisor and victimized employees is the “outcome” of justice restoration. Meanwhile, through the lens of power asymmetry and organizational conformity, I further proposed that when experiencing abusive supervision, some employees are likely to seek to reconcile the relationship with abusive supervisor without engaging in workplace deviant behaviors, such that employees may seek to reconcile because of the motivation of seeking expediency and pursuing future rewards. Furthermore, I explicated a mediation model that details employees’ perception of and reaction to abusive supervision on a long-term basis. Specifically, I found that employees consider abusive supervision to be a justice violation and engage in workplace deviant behavior to restore justice. However, justice restoration behaviors do not necessarily lead to relationship reconciliation. Meanwhile, I found some employees are likely to reconcile their relationship with supervisor without engaging in deviant behaviors. Furthermore, reconciliation is positively related to employees’ supervisor satisfaction. Last but not least, employees’ perception of supervisor support, the value of a relationship with supervisor, and the need for harmony influence their reactions to abusive supervision. Specifically, employees who perceive a stronger level of supervisor support are more likely to engage in deviant behaviors in response to abusive supervision. Furthermore, employees who placed a greater value on the supervisor relationship and who reported a stronger need for harmony are more likely to reconcile their relationship with the supervisor. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.