Investigating the mediating role of psychological states and the moderating role of angry rumination in the relationship between supervisors' history of family aggression and subordinates' perceptions of abusive supervision

Drawing upon the Social Learning Theory (Bandura, 1973, 1977) and the General Aggression Model (GAM; Anderson & Bushman, 2002), this research program endeavours to provide a deeper understanding of the causes of abusive supervision. In particular, it examines the mediating role of two psychological states (i.e., hostile cognitions and hostile affect) and the moderating role of angry rumination in the relationship between history of family aggression and subordinates' perceptions of abusive supervision. The proposed relationships were tested in a programmatic series of five studies each providing constructive replication and empirical extension of the study findings. The primary objective of Study 1 was to test the proposed positive relationship between history of family aggression and hostile cognitions and hostile affect. Results supported the hypothesised relationship in a sample of 255 student-parent dyads. Study 2 builds on Study 1 by examining the predicted relationships using a sample of 154 supervisor-subordinate dyads and extending the theoretical model to include abusive supervision. Results supported the proposed mediating role of hostile cognitions and hostile affect. Study 3 aimed to constructively replicate findings in Study 2 by using a different sample of 191 supervisor-subordinate dyads and operationalisation of hostile cognitions. In particular, the word completion task (Anderson et al., 2004) was used which taps into implicit social cognitions. Results once again supported the mediating role of hostile cognitions and hostile affect in the relationship between history of family aggression and abusive supervision. Alternative model tests also revealed that history of family aggression exerts its influence via a dual-activation process. Study 4 has two main objectives. First, it aimed to rule out alternative explanations by controlling for previously established antecedents of abusive supervision. Second, it examined the moderating role angry rumination in the proposed mediated relationship between history of family aggression and subordinates' perceptions of abusive supervision. Once again, results supported the main effects and mediation hypotheses. In addition, the conditional indirect effect of history of family aggression in predicting subordinates' perceptions of abusive supervision via hostile affect was stronger for supervisors' with high as opposed to low levels of angry rumination. However, the conditional indirect effect involving hostile cognitions was not supported. Finally, Study 5 aimed to replicate the findings from Study 4 and address issues associated with the use of retrospective data (e.g., history of family aggression) by obtaining parent ratings of history of family aggression. Once again, results supported the main effects and mediation hypotheses. Similar to Study 4, only the conditional indirect effect involving hostile affect was supported. This research program makes several contributions to the understanding of abusive supervision. First, it presented a different theoretical approach in explaining the occurrence of abusive supervision by implicating the role of social learning experiences, psychological states, and personality characteristics. Second, it addressed methodological issues associated with extant abusive supervision research through the use of multi-source data, constructive replication, and implicit measures of social cognition. Theoretical implications with reference to abusive supervision research and practical implications for reducing and managing its occurrence are discussed. -- provided by Candidate

Too many firms ignore their abusive boss problem

Some think that abuse and employee fear and silence are recipes for success, argue Christian Kiewitz, Simon Lloyd D. Restubog, Mindy Shoss, Patrick Raymund James M. Garcia and Robert L. Tan

Suffering in Silence: Investigating the Role of Fear in the Relationship Between Abusive Supervision and Defensive Silence

Drawing from an approach-avoidance perspective, we examine the relationships between subordinates’ perceptions of abusive supervision, fear, defensive silence, and ultimately abusive supervision at a later time point. We also account for the effects of subordinates’ assertiveness and individual perceptions of a climate of fear on these predicted mediated relationships. We test this moderated mediation model with data from three studies involving different sources collected across various measurement periods. Results corroborated our predictions by showing (a) a significant association between abusive supervision and subordinates’ fear, (b) second-stage moderation effects of subordinates’ assertiveness and their individual perceptions of a climate of fear in the abusive supervision–fear– defensive silence relationship (with lower assertiveness and higher levels of climate-of-fear perceptions exacerbating the detrimental effects of fear resulting from abusive supervision), and (c) first-stage moderation effects of subordinates’ assertiveness and climate-of-fear perceptions in a model linking fear to defensive silence and abusive supervision at a later time. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed

Parental behaviors and next-generation engagement in family firms: a social cognitive perspective

Next-generation engagement is a key contributor to the success and continuity of family businesses. It has been recognized that family relationships are an important factor in shaping such engagement. However, we know little as to how this process unfolds especially during the formative years of next-generation members. Using the principles of social cognitive theory and drawing from the literatures of career development, organizational behavior and family business, we propose a conceptual model that examines the psychological mechanisms linking parental behavior and next-generation engagement. We argue that parental behaviors influence next-generation engagement through its effects on next-generation members’ self-efficacy and commitment. We elaborate on this model by presenting contingency factors that moderate the proposed relationships. Lastly, we offer theoretical implications that can open new avenues for future research

Perceived Parental Behaviors and Next-Generation Engagement in Family Firms:A Social Cognitive Perspective

Next-generation engagement is a key contributor to the success and continuity of family firms. Family relationships are an important factor in shaping such engagement. However, we know little as to how this engagement process unfolds, especially during the formative years of next generation members. Using the principles of social cognitive theory and drawing on the career development, organizational behavior, and family business literature, we theorize the indirect influence of perceived parental support and psychological control on next-generation engagement in family firms through the mediating variables of self-efficacy and commitment to the family business. We discuss several possible avenues to test and extend this model in future research

Ingratiation as an adapting strategy: Its relationship with career adaptability, career sponsorship, and promotability

Guided by the Career Construction Theory (Savickas, 2013), our research model posits that individuals rely on their adaptability resources and implement adapting responses, in the form of ingratiation, to increase their promotability at work. In addition, the indirect relationship between career adaptability and promotability via ingratiation is further strengthened by high career sponsorship. The research model was tested and the translated Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (CAAS) Thailand form was validated using a cross-sectional survey of 265 subordinate–supervisor dyads. Results demonstrate adequate levels of internal consistency (ɑ = .96) and the factor structure corresponded with prior CAAS international validation. The moderated mediation model was supported and as expected: (a) ingratiation, as an adapting response, mediated the positive relationship between career adaptability and promotability, and (b) the mediated relationship between career adaptability and promotability via ingratiation was stronger for individuals with higher career sponsorship. Taken together, the findings support the cross-national measurement equivalence and utility of CAAS in non-Western and developing countries. More importantly, our study offers the groundwork for understanding adapting responses and the augmenting role of career-specific contextual support

The role of self-monitoring and academic effort in students’ career adaptability and job search self-efficacy

This article examines the relationship between career adaptability, self-monitoring, academic effort, and job search self-efficacy among university students. Guided by the career construction and self-monitoring theories, we propose that self-monitoring mediates the relationship between career adaptability and job search self-efficacy. Furthermore, we hypothesize that the indirect relationship is stronger for those with high academic effort. We test our proposed model using two samples (Sample 1 = 340, Sample 2 = 547) of university students from Thailand. Results confirm our hypothesized relationships and suggest that career adaptability is positively associated with job search self-efficacy above and beyond the effects of gender. Moderated mediation analyses revealed that the conditional indirect effect of career adaptability in predicting job search self-efficacy via self-monitoring is stronger for students with high as opposed to low levels of academic effort. Implications for theory and practice are discussed

Sleeping with a broken promise: The moderating role of generativity concerns in the relationship between psychological contract breach and insomnia among older workers

This paper examines the relationship between psychological contract breach and insomnia among older workers (aged 40 years and up). Drawing upon the conservation of resources theory, we conceptualize breach as a stressful event characterized by a perceived threat, failure to gain, or actual loss of valued resources, which increases psychological distress and insomnia. Moreover, we hypothesized that older workers' generativity concerns would act as a personal resource that would buffer the negative impact of breach. We tested our proposed model in 2 studies (Study 1 = 123; Study 2 = 168) of employee–spouse dyads. Results revealed that psychological distress mediated the relationship between psychological contract breach and insomnia. These mediated relationships were significant for those with low, but not for those with high levels of generativity concerns. These effects remained significant even after controlling for perceived organizational support (i.e., a social exchange mechanism). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.This research was supported by funding from the Australian Research Council to the second author (grant number DP1096037)

Sleeping with a broken promise: The moderating role of generativity concerns in the relationship between psychological contract breach and insomnia among older workers

This paper examines the relationship between psychological contract breach and insomnia among older workers (aged 40 years and up). Drawing upon the conservation of resources theory, we conceptualize breach as a stressful event characterized by a perceived threat, failure to gain, or actual loss of valued resources, which increases psychological distress and insomnia. Moreover, we hypothesized that older workers' generativity concerns would act as a personal resource that would buffer the negative impact of breach. We tested our proposed model in 2 studies (Study 1 = 123; Study 2 = 168) of employee–spouse dyads. Results revealed that psychological distress mediated the relationship between psychological contract breach and insomnia. These mediated relationships were significant for those with low, but not for those with high levels of generativity concerns. These effects remained significant even after controlling for perceived organizational support (i.e., a social exchange mechanism). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed

Dealing with the full-of-self boss: Interactive effects of supervisor narcissism and subordinate resource management ability on work outcomes

Extensive research has documented the harmful effects associated with working for a narcissistic supervisor. However, little effort has been made to investigate ways for victims to alleviate the burdens associated with exposure to such aversive persons. Building on the tenets of conservation of resources theory and the documented efficacy of functional assets to combat job-related stress, we hypothesized that subordinates’ resource management ability would buffer the detrimental impact of narcissistic supervisors on affective, cognitive, and behavioral work outcomes for subordinates. We found support for our hypotheses across three independent samples of US workers (N = 187; 199; 136). Specifically, higher levels of subordinate resource management ability attenuated the harmful effects of supervisor narcissism on employee-reported emotional exhaustion, job tension, depressed mood, task performance, and citizenship behavior. Conversely, these relationships further deteriorated for subordinates with lower levels of resource management ability. Overall, our research contributes to the literature that, although extensively documenting the harmful ramifications of narcissism in organizations, has neglected to investigate potentially mitigating factors