辱虐管理对下属沉默行为的影响--一个跨层次多特征的调节模型

Abusive Supervision and Subordinate Silence: A Moderating Model of Multilevel Characteristics

作为"毒性"领导的一种表现形式,辱虐管理通过影响员工行为而给现代企业组织绩效带来很强的负面影响。然而,对于辱虐管理与员工沉默行为之间的关系,以及这种关系的边界影响因素的探讨仍较为缺乏。从资源保存理论出发,采用来自江苏88家企业的88名主管副总经理与575名下属员工的配对数据,本文研究发现,上级主管的辱虐管理对下属沉默行为具有显著正向预测作用,并且这种正向预测作用受到三个层面边界条件的影响:下属的独立型自我意识越强,工作复杂性越高,以及在高关注员工发展的组织文化中,辱虐管理与下属沉默行为之间的关系越强。本文的研究为我们理解辱虐管理与员工沉默行为的关系提供了新的理论视角。

Abusive supervision, as a kind of toxic leadership, has signifi- cantly negative effects on organizational performance through influencing employees＇ behaviors. However, few studies have examined the relation- ship between abusive supervision and subordinate＇s silence and how this relationship is affected by boundary conditions at different levels. Drawing on the theory of conservation of resources and using paired data from 575 employees and 88 vice presidents in 88 companies in Jiangsu Province, we found that abusive supervision was positively related to subordinate＇s silence. We also found that the positive relationship between abusive super- vision and subordinate＇s silence was moderated by three factors, namely, self-construal at the individual level, job complexity at the job level, and organizational culture at the organizational level. Specifically, employees with higher self-construal, doing more complicated jobs, and staying in a company with organizational culture focusing on employee develop- ment, will have more silence when they feel abused by their supervisors. Accordingly, we contribute to the literature at least in three aspects. First, we respond to Tepper＇s and Martinko＇s et al calls to study the relationship between abusive supervision and employee＇s silence. Second, we examine three different boundary conditions or situational factors to test how they affect the relationship between abusive supervision and subordinate＇s si- lence, which helps us to answer why some employees feel abused by their supervisors, and others don＇t have same feelings. Finally, we use the theory of conservation of resources to explain the relationship between abusive su- pervision and subordinate＇s silence and its boundary conditions. The study thus enriches our understanding of the relationship between abusive super- vision and subordinate＇s silence, and provides a new theoretical perspective and research direction for future study. Notably, this study has the several limitations. First of all, the paper used cross-sectional design. As a conse- quence, it cannot confirm the causal relationship between abusive supervi- sion and subordinate＇s silence. Future research should utilize longitudinal or experimental design. Next, all data was collected in Jiangsu province, which limited the generalizability or external validity of the findings. Fu- ture research should collect data from different areas in different contexts to extend our study. Finally, the key variables, such as abusive supervision and employee silence, were reported by employees, which may have self-re- ported bias. Future research should use different ways to measure abusive supervision.