Abusive supervision in commercial kitchens: Insights from the restaurant industry

Taheri, Babak; Thompson, Jamie; Mistry, Trishna; Okumus, Bendegul; Gannon, Martin

Abstract

This mixed-method study investigates how abusive supervision and bullying impact job satisfaction and turnover intentions among employees in an environment plagued by ingrained incivility: commercial kitchens. Underpinned by social learning theory, we draw from 832 survey responses and 20 in-depth interviews to explore the extent to which supervisory abuse and workplace bullying negatively impact employee perceptions of their working environment while also investigating positive alternatives therein (e.g., authentic leadership and encouragement of creativity). Results suggest that, despite day-today challenges posed by abusive leadership, a strong sense of camaraderie and passion for kitchen work stimulated a commitment to the job. Accordingly, the study concludes that the inherently creative nature of commercial kitchen work and the personalities of fellow staff played a significant role in retaining employees. It thus highlights the complexity of food service employee retention and suggests that a holistic understanding of both leadership dynamics and intrinsic motives is essential.

Citation

Taheri, B., Thompson, J., Mistry, T., Okumus, B., & Gannon, M. (2024). Abusive supervision in commercial kitchens: Insights from the restaurant industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 120, Article 103789. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2024.103789

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 27, 2024
• Online Publication Date: May 6, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024-07
• Deposit Date: May 20, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: May 20, 2024
• Print ISSN: 0278-4319
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 120
• Article Number: 103789
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2024.103789
• Keywords: abusive supervision; workplace bullying; commercial kitchens; turnover intentions; job satisfaction
• Other Repo URL: https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/abusive-supervision-in-commercial-kitchens-insights-from-the-rest