Toxic Triads: Supervisor Characteristics, Subordinate Self-Esteem, and Supervisor Stressors in Relation to Perceptions of Abusive Supervision

ABSTRACT

Extant research on abusive supervision recognizes that attributes of the supervisor, subordinate, and situation contribute to abuse. However, little research has examined the interplay of all three factors in predicting abusive supervision. Thus, we first take an actor-focused perspective and identify supervisor trait anger and moral justification as “hot” and “cold” personality traits that encompass a preparedness to aggress and serve as antecedents of subordinates’ perceptions of abusive supervision. Then, we integrate trait activation theory to examine both subordinates’ self-esteem and supervisors’ job stressors as trait-relevant moderators. We predict two-way and three-way interactions for both supervisor trait anger and moral justification. Using a multisource, field study, we found general support for the hypothesized effects. We discuss the implications of our findings for research and practice.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, upon reasonable request.

Ethical approval

Prior to starting the study reported in this manuscript, ethical approval was obtained for all protocols from the local institutional review board (IRB) to confirm the study meets national and international guidelines for research on human participants. Protocol # 07–4138 was approved by the University of Central Florida’s Office of Research.