Muhammad Umer Azeem
When and how is abusive supervision enacted toward competent subordinates? The role of supervisors' power loss concern and downward envy
Azeem, Muhammad Umer; Haq, Inam Ul; Murtaza, Ghulam; Khan, Rahman
Abstract
In general, supervisor abuse is directed toward low-performing subordinates. Similarly, envy is typically felt by professionals in lower ranks toward those in higher positions. By contrast, this study investigates the counterintuitive relationship between the abusive behavior of envious leaders toward their competent subordinates. Specifically, we argue that supervisors become envious of competent employees when they are anxious about losing power. Multisource, time-lagged data collected from dyads (198 supervisors and 198 subordinates) in Pakistan-based organizations support the proposed hypotheses. The findings show a positive relationship between perceptions of subordinate competence, supervisors' downward envy, and abusive supervision. In addition, the relationship between perceived subordinates' competence and supervisors' envy is strong when supervisors' power loss concerns are high. This study provides useful theoretical and practical insights for human resource managers dealing with unethical workplace behavior.
Citation
Azeem, M. U., Haq, I. U., Murtaza, G., & Khan, R. (2025). When and how is abusive supervision enacted toward competent subordinates? The role of supervisors' power loss concern and downward envy. Applied Psychology, 74(1), Article e12559. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12559
| Journal Article Type | Article |
|---|---|
| Acceptance Date | Jun 12, 2024 |
| Online Publication Date | Jul 1, 2024 |
| Publication Date | 2025-02 |
| Deposit Date | Jan 23, 2025 |
| Journal | Applied Psychology |
| Print ISSN | 0269-994X |
| Electronic ISSN | 1464-0597 |
| Publisher | Wiley |
| Peer Reviewed | Peer Reviewed |
| Volume | 74 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Article Number | e12559 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12559 |
| Keywords | abusive supervision, perceptions of subordinate competence, supervisors' downward envy, supervisors' power loss concern |
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