Abstract:

As a typical representative of negative leadership behavior, abusive supervision has a significant impact on supervisor-subordinate relationship. However, most of the existing studies are based on one-way and static perspectives. Ignoring its sustained behavior may unconsciously aggravate the negative reciprocal relationship of “tit for tat” between superiors and subordinates, and further push abusive supervision into a cumulative vortex. Based on the dual perspective of the negative reciprocity theory and the shame theory, and using the shame from the leader as a mediator, this paper examines the causal cycle effects of abusive supervision, the shame from leader, and ego-depletion in a cross-lagged longitudinal design with an interval of six months, with 369 leaders as the subjects. The results show that there is a cross-lagged relationship between abusive supervision and the shame from the leader, and a cross-lagged relationship between the shame from the leader and ego depletion, after controlling for the autoregressive effect of latent variables at three time intervals. The results show that under the control of negative reciprocal relationship, the abusive supervision behavior induces the shame from the leader, and causes the self-depletion under the effect of the internal accumulation mechanism. In addition, the aftereffects of ego depletion will further strengthen the accumulation of the shame from the leader, and finally break through the bondage of emotional regulation motivation, and intensify the implementation of abusive supervision under the effect of the outgoing vent mechanism. Thus, a vicious spiral of abuse supervision is formed in the workplace. This paper enriches and expands the research on the dynamic and two-way perspectives of abusive supervision, and warns managers to have systematic management thinking, avoid turning abusive supervision into a means to maintain their own authority, and avoid falling into the the spiral of abusive supervision.

Key words: spiral of abusive supervision, shame, ego depletion, cross-lagged, negative reciprocal relationship

摘要：

辱虐管理作为典型的消极领导行为，对上下级关系产生不容忽视的影响。然而，现有研究多基于单向和静态视角展开研究，忽视其持续性特征可能会潜移默化地加剧双方“一报还一报”的负向互惠关系，进而将辱虐管理推向一个累积的漩涡之中。基于负向互惠理论和羞耻理论的双重视角，以上司羞耻感为中介变量，以369名领导者为对象，采用为期半年的交叉滞后纵向设计，检验了辱虐管理、上司羞耻感与自我损耗的因果循环效应。结果显示：在控制了潜变量3个时间间隔的自回归效应之后，辱虐管理与上司羞耻感存在交叉滞后关系；上司羞耻感与自我损耗存在交叉滞后关系。研究表明：在负向互惠关系的支配下，辱虐管理行为诱发上司的羞耻感，在内向累积机制的作用下产生自我损耗；自我损耗后效进一步强化上司羞耻感的积累，最终突破情绪调节动机的束缚，在外向发泄机制的作用下变本加厉地实施辱虐管理，从而在职场中形成一个恶性的“辱虐螺旋”。本研究丰富和拓展了辱虐管理的纵向和双向视角的研究，同时也警示管理者要树立系统管理思维，避免将辱虐管理变成维护自身权威的手段，以免陷入“辱虐螺旋”。

关键词: 辱虐螺旋, 羞耻感, 自我损耗, 交叉滞后, 负向互惠关系