Does an abusive climate promote performance: an investigation of public sector hospitals of Pakistan

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJWHM-01-2022-0001
• Published date: 10 May 2022
• Date: 10 May 2022
• Pages: 534-551
• Subject Matter: Health & social care,Healthcare management,HR & organizational behaviour,Human resource policy,Employee welfare
• Author: Zara Tahir,Fatima Bashir,Faria Arshad,Zara Sabeen

Does an abusive climate promote

performance: an investigation of

public sector hospitals of Pakistan

Zara Tahir

Faculty of Management Sciences, International Islamic University,

Islamabad, Pakistan

Fatima Bashir

Air University School of Management (AUSOM), Air University Islamabad,

Islamabad, Pakistan, and

Faria Arshad and Zara Sabeen

Faculty of Management Sciences, International Islamic University,

Islamabad, Pakistan

Abstract

Purpose –This study aims to investigate the abusive supervision climate as an antecedent abusive

supervision and attempts to uncover underlying mechanisms that affects employees’behavioural outcomes in

terms of their performance.

Design/methodology/approach –A framework embedded in social learning theory is developed and

empirically tested using a time-lag research design. Data have been collected from 330 functional dyads of

supervisors and followers using judgement sampling (from public hospitals in Pakistan) that have been

identified and matched for drawing analysis and inferences.

Findings –The results indicate that abusive supervision does occur because of the hypothesized precursor

(abusive supervision climate) and that the underlying mechanisms (fear) delineated in this research positively

and significantly affect performance of employees. The added significance of the study is its relevance for

practitioners with opportunities to manage the factors affecting supervision and its relationship with

employees’outcomes through appropriate interventions to improve the behavioural outcomes.

Social implications –The current study holds not only managerial and academic implications but also has

economical and social implications. The findings of the study will help the supervisors and organisations

understand how they become a source of their abusive behaviour. With the understanding of the root causes, they

can encourage employees in developing mindfulness in recommendations which helps them build an internal

capability to face external adversities. Policymakers will get insights into the underlying mechanisms of abusive

supervision as well as problems they are facing with the employees. This understanding will help employers and

employees in building internal control of employees improving their performance as well as mental health

ultimately.

Originality/value –Thestudy opens new avenues for further research with regard to the study of contextual,

organisational and personal factors to mitigate abusive supervision as well as exploring additional moderators

to lessen the relationship between abusive supervision and behavioural outcomes.

Keywords Human resource management, Healthcare sector, Abusive supervision

Paper type Research paper

Introduction

In recent times, research on the destructive leadership style has earned much attention from

researchers in the field of leadership (Jung and Yoon, 2020); researchers have been

investigating the impact of dark triads on counterproductive work behaviours of employees

(Cohen and

€

Ozsoy, 2021), reshaping bullying (Hogan et al., 2020). It is pertinent to

mention that investigators have been chronicling how the leadership of an unsupportive,

toxic, or ineffective supervisor negatively affects the employees (David et al., 2020).

Investigations are continuously being conducted to understand and illustrate the abusive

supervision style in work environments through various strategies (Shillamkwese et al.,

IJWHM

15,4

534

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:

https://www.emerald.com/insight/1753-8351.htm

Received 3 January 2022

Revised 5 March 2022

16 April 2022

Accepted 19 April 2022

InternationalJournal of Workplace

Health Management

Vol. 15 No. 4, 2022

pp. 534-551

© Emerald Publishing Limited

1753-8351

DOI 10.1108/IJWHM-01-2022-0001

2020). The term abusive supervision has been the most repeatedly used whenever citing the

negative quantum of leadership (Jung and Yoon, 2020); hence, abusive supervision has been a

concern of researchers recently (Tepper et al., 2017). The term abusive supervision is

elucidated as “the supervisors’hurtful actions towards their subordinates which further

instigate the negative behaviours of employees”(Haggard and Park, 2018, p. 1252).

Theincreasingattentionofscholarsontheexplorationofthedarkandnegativesideof

leadership has resulted in the investigation of various constructs which illustrate this toxic

phenomenon. Significant examples include destructive leadership (Einarsen et al., 2007), petty

tyranny (Ashforth, 1997), workplace bullying (Zapf and Gross, 2001), despotic leadership

(Aronson, 2001), victimization (Schoot, 2009) and lastly the phenomena of abusive supervision

(Lam et al., 2017). The precursors of abusive supervision identified are still no t fully covered

(Tepper et al., 2017;Hackney and Perrewe, 2018). Recently, researchers have started investigating

if the personalities of abuse victims also play a role in their perceptions of abuse (Kim and Glomb,

2010;Henle and Gross, 2014;Wang et al., 2015). Research to determine why abusive supervisors

continue their behaviour is still unclear (Hackney and Perrewe, 2018). Studies continue to grow to

explore the outcomes of abusive supervision, but the underlying mechanismsstill require further

exploration (Liang et al.,2018). The present investigation has attempted to answer these research

calls by exploring the theoretical themes of abusive supervision.

Previousinvestigatorsdescribe dark leadershipperspectives such as abusivesupervision in

diverse theoretical contextssuch as the social learning theory, cognitivesocial learning theory,

social exchange theory and organisational justice theory (Naseer et al.,2016;Hoobler and Hu,

2013;Weaverand Yancey, 2010;Tepper, 2000;Liuet al., 2012). Some studies have also applied

the conservatio n of resource theory (Pradhan and Jena, 2017). What is problematic is that the

mediation frameworks scholars test typically accounts for one and rarely more than two

mechanisms underlying the effects of supervisory abuse. Consequently, the research being

conducted cannotshed light on the relative explanatory power of the theoretical perspectives

that seem relevantto understanding abusive supervision(Tepper et a l.,2017). Considering the

detrimentaleffects abusivesupervision has on the healthof the organisationand its employees,

it is significantto work on advancing theory towardsan integrative model that establishesan

end-to-end explanation of abusive supervision as a phenomenon.

The core mechanisms are undertaken in the current study; i.e. social learning has mainly

been used as an explanation by researchers to discuss abusive supervision. However, as

discussed in the previous passage, Tepper et al. (2017) recommended exploring the

overarching impact of this theoretical mechanism. It might seem overly parsimonious, but

researchers have contended that many of the theoretical concepts that have been used to

explain abusive supervision in terms of its drivers may be summed by one core mechanism,

which in the current study is rooted in social learning theory (Bandura, 1977).

This research contributes to the literature in the services sector in several ways. First,

existing studies have focussed on the theoretical construct (e.g. social learning), which

explains the phenomena of abusive supervision. This study posits that the social learning

theory is the main explanation for all the antecedents of abusive supervision. Second, up till

now, the negative impact of abusive supervision on the performance of employees has been

established; however, researchers have been calling for attention to the motivation that

Supervisors have that makes them motivated to be abusive. In this regard, the current study

has investigated the positive impact of abusive supervision through the underlying

mechanism proposed as the fear employees face from the abusive supervisor. Third, the

present study has collected data from functional dyads of supervisors and followers working

in public sector hospitals in a time-lagged research design, adding value to the

methodological approach of the investigations in the field as previous studies conducted in

the domain of antecedents and outcomes of abusive supervision have indicated that their

findings might be effected by common method biases which need to be taken care in future

Public sector

hospitals of

Pakistan

535