Abusive supervision and workplace deviance and the moderating effects of negative reciprocity beliefs.
Open accessAbstract
In this study, the authors examine the relationship between abusive supervision and employee workplace deviance. The authors conceptualize abusive supervision as a type of aggression. They use work on retaliation and direct and displaced aggression as a foundation for examining employees' reactions to abusive supervision. The authors predict abusive supervision will be related to supervisor-directed deviance, organizational deviance, and interpersonal deviance. Additionally, the authors examine the moderating effects of negative reciprocity beliefs. They hypothesized that the relationship between abusive supervision and supervisor-directed deviance would be stronger when individuals hold higher negative reciprocity beliefs. The results support this hypothesis. The implications of the results for understanding destructive behaviors in the workplace are examined.
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The within-person view challenges the traditional view that focuses on leaders' general behavioral patterns across different individuals.
“This challenges the traditional view that focuses on leaders ' general behavioral patterns across different individuals (e.g., some leaders generally enact more abusive supervision behaviors than others; Mitchell & Ambrose, 2007).”
From The evolution of leadership: Past insights, present trends, and future directions (2025) · cites this paper as Mitchell & Ambrose, 2007
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“Abusive supervision was measured using the 5-item shortened version (Mitchell and Ambrose, 2007) of Tepper’s (2000) Abusive Supervision measure.”
MethodThe evolution of leadership: Past insights, present trends, and future directions
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Ağaoğlu, M., & Erdil, O. (2026) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs16071191
- Authors
- Mitchell, M. S., & Ambrose, M. L.
- Affiliations
- University of Central Florida (US)
- ORCID
- Mitchell, Marie S.
- Venue
- Journal of Applied Psychology
- Published
- 2007
- Volume
- 92
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 1159-1168
- ISSN
- 0021-9010 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1854
- OpenAlex
- W2083403796
- Cited by
- 1,514
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 64 · 2025: 93 · 2024: 105 · 2023: 137 · 2022: 137 · 2021: 142 · 2020: 111 · 2019: 112 · 2018: 103 · 2017: 79 · 2016: 62 · 2015: 76 · 2014: 64 · 2013: 72 · 2012: 53
- FWCI
- 77.61
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Locations
- Journal of Applied Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Workplace Violence and Bullying
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
- Keywords
- abusive supervision, workplace deviance, retaliation, direct aggression, displaced aggression, organizational deviance, interpersonal deviance, workplace aggression
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Affect, Aggression, Culture, Employment, Female, Humans, Male, Personnel Management, Workplace
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