Group- and organisational-level contextual factors of abusive supervision

Drawing on conservation of resources theory and social exchange theory, this study seeks to extend current understanding of the antecendent of and processes by which abusive supervision climate (ASC) affects employees behaviors. We examine the role of perceived hostile climate (PHC) as an organization-level antecedent of the team-level abusive supervision climate (ASC). We also investigate how ASC in turn undermines team member attitudes and performance through individual-level emotional exhaustion and interactional justice. Analyses of multi-level, multi-phase and dual-mediation model show that ASC (as a first-stage mediator) and emotional exhaustion (as a second-stage mediator) mediate the relationship between PHC and team member’s subsequent work behaviors (i.e., constructive resistance, dysfunctional resistance and task performance). However, ASC and team member’s interactional injustice (as a second stage mediator) failed to transmit the trickle-down effects of PHC on team member attitudes and performance. This study contributes to the research by explaining the process through which ASC emerge within work teams and how the organizational-level contextual factors (such as PHC) contribute in constituting ASC. Implications for the workplace abusive supervision climate literature are discussed.