Abusive leaders' core self-evaluation and their choices of victims

Abstract

Who are the victims of abusive supervision in organizations? It depends on the leaders' core self-evaluation (CSE). Drawing on self-verification theory and social exchange theory, we developed and tested a moderated mediation model that specifies how leaders' core self-evaluation and their leader-member exchange relationships interact in affecting subordinates' perceptions of abusive supervision. We surveyed a total of 854 employees and their direct supervisors from multiple organizations in eastern China. Results indicate that leaders with low CSE are more likely to abuse subordinates with whom they have closer social exchange relationships (their 'own people') whereas leaders with high CSE are more likely to abuse subordinates with whom they have a more distant social exchange relationships.