Investigating Daily Abusive Supervision as Antecedent of Subordinates' Low Psychological Detachment and Relaxation During Nonwork Time: A Diary Study

Recovery from work is highly relevant for employees, yet understanding the interpersonal antecedents of impaired recovery experiences remains unclear. Specifically, because former research neglected supervisor behaviors as a predictor of impaired recovery and abusive supervision is a core stressor,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of occupational health psychology 2024-08, Vol.29 (4), p.220-237
Main Authors: Iser-Potempa, Julia, Nesher Shoshan, Hadar, Sonnentag, Sabine
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abuse of Power
Adult
Anger
Diaries as Topic
Female
Human
Humans
Leadership
Life Experiences
Male
Middle Aged
Occupational Stress - psychology
Psychology
Relaxation
Relaxation - psychology
Rumination (Cognitive Process)
Social Support
Workplace - psychology
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Summary:Recovery from work is highly relevant for employees, yet understanding the interpersonal antecedents of impaired recovery experiences remains unclear. Specifically, because former research neglected supervisor behaviors as a predictor of impaired recovery and abusive supervision is a core stressor, we examine daily abusive supervision as a predictor of subordinates' recovery experiences (i.e., psychological detachment and relaxation). We draw on research on the recovery paradox and propose that psychological detachment and relaxation will be impaired on days with high abusive supervision, although recovery would have been highly important on those days. We suggest a cognitive mechanism (via rumination) and an affective mechanism (via anger) to explain this paradox. We test coworker reappraisal support as a moderator that buffers the adverse effects of abusive supervision on rumination and anger. In a daily diary study (171 subordinates, 786 days), we found an indirect effect of abusive supervision on psychological detachment via rumination and indirect effects of abusive supervision on psychological detachment and relaxation via anger. Coworker reappraisal support moderated the association of abusive supervision and rumination, such that the relationship was weaker when coworker support was high. Our results suggest that including negative supervisor behaviors, such as abusive supervision, in recovery research is highly relevant. Coworkers can help cognitively process abusive-supervision experiences by providing reappraisal support.
ISSN:1076-8998
1939-1307
1939-1307
DOI:10.1037/ocp0000377