When and How Subordinate Performance Leads to Abusive Supervision: A Social Dominance Perspective

Abdul Karim Khan, Sherry Moss, Samina Quratulain, Imran Hameed

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

140 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

While we would typically expect poor performers to elicit abusive responses from their supervisors, we theorize that high performers may also be victims of abusive supervision. Specifically, we draw on social dominance theory to hypothesize and demonstrate that subordinate performance can have a positive, indirect effect on abusive supervision through the mediator of perceived threat to hierarchy. And this positive indirect effect prevails when the supervisor’s social dominance orientation is high. We found support for our theoretical model using data collected from supervisor–subordinate dyads.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2801-2826
Number of pages26
JournalJournal of Management
Volume44
Issue number7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 1 2018

Keywords

  • abusive supervision
  • social dominance orientation
  • subordinate performance

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Finance
  • Strategy and Management

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