When Is the Negative Effect of Abusive Supervision on Task Performance Mitigated? An Empirical Study of Public Service Officers in Korea

• Main Authors: Heetae Park, Wonseok Choi, Seung-Wan Kang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-06-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: abusive supervision; task performance; coworker support; self-efficacy; public service officer; military
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/12/4244

Supervisory leadership has occupied an important place in management literature in identifying the supervisory behaviors that are associated with positive outcomes. However, researchers also have turned their attention to the dark side of supervisory behavior, such as abusive supervision. This study investigates the role of coworker support and self-efficacy in the relationship between abusive supervision and the subordinate’s task performance. Data are collected from 192 supervisor–subordinate pairs in the South Korean Army. As hypothesized, when subordinates receive higher levels of coworker support or have higher self-efficacy, abusive supervision is less negatively related to task performance. The implications of the study and directions for future research are discussed.