The Intuitive and Counterintuitive Effects of Supportive and Abusive Supervision on Hotel Employees

Abstract

When studied independently subordinate perceived supervisor support and abusive supervision have unequivocally contrary effects on subordinate outcomes that are critical to the performance of hospitality organizations. Although both supportive and abusive supervisor behaviors occur in the subordinate–direct supervisor exchange relationship, the simultaneous effects of these two constructs have yet to be illuminated. Drawing on the within-domain exacerbation hypothesis and the whiplash effect, we propose a conceptual framework that captures both the independent and interactive effects of subordinate perceived supervisor support and abusive supervision on hotel employees. Using a sample composed of 194 direct subordinate-supervisor pairings from 119 hotel property departments and 18 Chinese hotel properties, we illuminate the contrary, relative, and interactive effects of perceived supervisor support and abusive supervision on subordinate hotel employees’ job stress as well as their (supervisor-rated) individual-oriented organizational citizenship behavior. Implications and limitations of the current study and avenues for future research are discussed.