My Family Made Me Do It: A Cross-Domain, Self-Regulatory Perspective on Antecedents to Abusive Supervision

Abstract

Drawing on resource drain theory, we introduce self-regulatory resource (ego) depletion stemming from family-to-work conflict (FWC) as an alternative theoretical perspective on why supervisors behave abusively toward subordinates. Our two-study examination of a cross-domain antecedent of abusive supervision stands in contrast to prior research, which has focused primarily on work-related factors that influence abusive supervision. Further, our investigation shows how ego depletion is proximally related to abusive supervision. In the first study, conducted at a Fortune 500 company and designed as a lagged survey study, we found that after controlling for alternative theoretical mechanisms, supervisors who experience FWC display more abusive behaviors toward subordinates, and that this relationship was stronger for female supervisors and for supervisors who operate in environments with greater situation-control. These results were then replicated and expanded in an experience sampling study using a multi-organization sample of supervisors. This allowed us to study the FWC-abusive supervision relationship as it emerges on a day-to-day basis and to examine ego depletion as an explanatory mechanism. Consistent with our hypotheses, we found that FWC is associated with abusive supervision, ego depletion acts as a mediator of the FWC-abusive supervision relationship, and that gender and situationcontrol serve as moderators. AbstractDrawing on resource drain theory, we introduce self-regulatory resource (ego) depletion stemming from family-to-work conflict (FWC) as an alternative theoretical perspective on why supervisors behave abusively toward subordinates. Our two-study examination of a cross-domain antecedent of abusive supervision stands in contrast to prior research, which has focused primarily on work-related factors that influence abusive supervision. Further, our investigation shows how ego depletion is proximally related to abusive supervision. In the first study, conducted at a Fortune 500 company and designed as a lagged survey study, we found that after controlling for alternative theoretical mechanisms, supervisors who experience FWC display more abusive behaviors toward subordinates, and that this relationship was stronger for female supervisors and for supervisors who operate in environments with greater situation-control.These results were then replicated and expanded in an experience sampling study using a multiorganization sample of supervisors. This allowed us to study the FWC-abusive supervision relationship as it emerges on a day-to-day basis and to examine ego depletion as an explanatory mechanism. Consistent with our hypotheses, we found that FWC is associated with abusive supervision, ego depletion acts as a mediator of the FWC-abusive supervision relationship, and that gender and situation-control serve as moderators.

What happens at home does not stay at home: The role of family and romantic partner conflict in destructive leadership

“…First, from a conceptual perspective, we have shown the importance of considering how different manifestations of family‐generated resource depletion impact different manifestations of destructive leadership. Whereas previous research has investigated how ego depletion can negatively affect leaders' behaviour (i.e., Byrne et al, ; Courtwright et al, ), our study highlights both the affective and cognitive toll that multiple family‐based stressors can take on leadership. In so doing, we extend the body of research showing the widespread effects of the intersection of work and family more generally, and the non‐work influences on destructive leadership in particular.…”

“…More recently, emotional labour arising from dealing with customers was shown to deplete leaders' state self‐control, which then predicted abusive supervision (Yam, Fehr, Keng‐Highberger, Klotz, & Reynolds, ). Only Courtwright et al () studied the effects of family‐to‐work conflict on abusive supervision, and their second study showed that leaders who experience family‐to‐work conflict display more abusive behaviours toward subordinates via ego depletion. Thus, when taken together, we predict that in eroding the affective resources of leaders, family‐to‐work and romantic relationship conflict will result in the enactment of abusive supervisory behaviour.Hypothesis Leaders' depressive symptoms will mediate the relationship between family‐to‐work conflict and abusive supervision.Hypothesis Leaders' depressive symptoms will mediate the relationship between romantic relationship conflict and abusive supervision.…”

What threatens retail employees' thriving at work under leader‐member exchange? The role of store spatial crowding and team negative affective tone

“…We stamped a unique code on each questionnaire to match the responses received from the two phases and the two sources. After we matched the responses, handled missing data, and excluded groups that had fewer than two employees (Courtright, Gardner, Smith, McCormick, & Colbert, ), the final sample consisted of 259 employees nested within 89 stores.…”

Supervisors' emotional exhaustion and abusive supervision: The moderating roles of perceived subordinate performance and supervisor self-monitoring

“…An important explanatory approach has highlighted supervisors' resource deficits as a critical antecedent, such that abusive supervision may occur more frequently if a supervisor lacks the capacity to effectively inhibit, override, or refrain from acting upon behavioral impulses (Wang, Sinclair, & Deese, ). Accordingly, scholars have linked indicators of resource deprivation (i.e., depressive symptoms, anxiety, and workplace alcohol consumption, Byrne et al, , as well as ego depletion, Courtright, Gardner, Smith, McCormick, & Colbert, ; Joosten, van Dijke, van Hiel, & De Cremer, ) with supervisors' abusive and deviant acts. When one extrapolates from these findings, it seems plausible to conceptualize abusive supervision as a supervisor's reaction to experiences of work stress and excessive job demands, such that supervisors are more likely to exhibit abusive behavior if they are emotionally exhausted from their work.…”