The dual impact of abusive supervision on employees’ job performance

Abusive supervision has become increasingly prevalent in modern organizations, yet its impact on employees’ job performance remains contentious. Drawing on the cognitive appraisal theory of stress, this study investigated the dual pathways through which abusive supervision influences employees’ job performance and identified the contexts in which these effects manifest. Using a two-wave survey of 413 employees, we found that abusive supervision led to employee burnout, which, in turn, negatively impacted employees’ job performance. Conversely, abusive supervision also encouraged job crafting, thereby enhancing job performance. Additionally, employees’ workaholism moderated the relationship between leader abusive supervision and job burnout. These findings elucidate the mechanisms by which abusive supervision affects employee cognition and behavior, offering organizations strategies to manage the effects of abusive supervision while minimizing associated risks in managerial practice.