Cleansing my abuse: A reparative response model of perpetrating abusive supervisor behavior.

• DOI: 10.1037/apl0000319
• Publication Date: 2018-05-03T16:18:00Z
• Authors: Zhenyu Liao; Kai Chi Yam; Russell E. Johnson; Wu Liu; Zhaoli Song
• Keywords: Abusive supervision; PsycINFO; Constructive; Moral courage; Abusive relationship; Supervisor

Research on abusive supervision has predominantly focused the consequences for victims while overlooking how leaders respond to their own behavior. Drawing from literature moral cleansing, we posit that supervisors who engage in behavior may paradoxically more constructive leadership behaviors subsequently as a result of feeling guilty and perceiving loss credits. Results two experience sampling studies show that, within daily basis, perpetrating supervisor led an increase experienced guilt perceived credits, which turn motivated person-oriented (consideration) task-oriented (initiating structure) behaviors. In addition, leader attentiveness courage strengthen these indirect effects by amplifying leaders' awareness immoral willingness determination make reparations such Our research contributes theoretical understanding responses toward provides insights into when destructive may, paradoxically, trigger (PsycINFO Database Record