Crisis-driven organizational change and abusive supervision in Asian airlines influenced by perceived hostile climate and seniority-based allocation

Drawing on conservation of resources theory and ego-depletion theory, this study explored the impact of crisis-driven organizational change (i.e., re-engineering, restructuring, and salary benefit cuts) on abusive supervision. We analyzed data from 323 frontline aircrew using structural equation modeling and developed a scale for crisis-driven organizational change using a separate dataset from 264 respondents. Results showed that a perceived hostile climate mediated the relationship between crisis-driven organizational change and abusive supervision. Salary benefit cuts had a partial mediating effect, while re-engineering and restructuring had a full mediating effect. Moreover, seniority-based resource allocation moderated the impact of restructuring on abusive supervision, such that restructuring was associated with increased abusive supervision under conditions of minimal seniority-based allocation, whereas abusive supervision decreased when allocation relied heavily on seniority. This research deepens understanding of the contextual antecedents underlying abusive supervision and underscores the importance of resource distribution in shaping hierarchical dynamics during crises.