Citation

Wu TY, Chung PF, Liao HY, Hu PY, Yeh YJ. J. Gen. Psychol. 2019; ePub(ePub): 1-26.

Affiliation

a National Taiwan University.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/00221309.2019.1585323

PMID

30955471

Abstract

Based on uncertainty management theory (Lind & Van den Bos, 2002; Van den Bos & Lind, 2002), we explored whether uncertainty in the workplace (role ambiguity) as well as off the workplace (economic hardship) moderates the relationship between abusive supervision and subordinates' job burnout. Using survey method, we obtained 458 valid responses from employees in a transportation company in Taiwan. The results of moderated hierarchical regression showed that both role ambiguity and economic hardship induce the positive relationship between abusive supervision and subordinates' job burnout. Abusive supervision related more strongly to job burnout when subordinates perceived higher role ambiguity (higher uncertainty) or higher economic hardship (higher uncertainty). As predicted, high uncertainty increases subordinates' attentions to the injustice from abusive supervision and thus strengthens the negative psychological consequences of abusive supervision, regardless of whether the source of uncertainty corresponds to the source of (in)justice perception.

Language: en

Keywords

Abusive supervision; economic hardship; job burnout; role ambiguity; uncertainty management theory