Abusive Supervision and the loss spiral: A study on the role of negative leadership in the JD-R model

Research goals and why the work was worth doing: Drawing upon the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory (Hobfoll, 1989) and the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory (Bakker & Demerouti, 2017), this study aims to investigate the role of a negative leadership style in impoverishing resources and increasing the negative consequences of demands for people at work. Furthermore, the role of leadership in the JD-R model is an aspect that needs to be developed and further explained; previous empirical studies (Schaufeli, 2015; Tummers & Bakker, 2021) attempted to clarify its position and role in the JD-R model. Considering the latest study about JD-R theory (Bakker et al., 2023) and the influence of leaders in shaping followers’ wellbeing (Caputo et al., 2023), the role of leadership within the JD-R model needs further investigation to be clarified and test if leadership could be a resource (or a demand) itself. Theoretical background Abusive supervision is a negative leadership style according to which people perceive that their leader is engaging in “the sustained display of hostile verbal and nonverbal behaviors, excluding physical contact” (Tepper, 2000, p. 178). Considering that the central tenet of COR theory is that “individuals strive to retain, protect, and build resources” (Hobfoll, 1989, p. 516) and that abusive supervision consists of leaders ridiculing and undermining their followers, this leadership style could imply a decrease in resources among individuals, and trigger the subsequent resource loss spiral (Hobfoll, 1989). Abusive Supervision could, therefore, on the one hand, negatively affect followers’ work engagement (Barnes et al., 2015; Li et a., 2021; Scheuer et al., 2019) by weakening personal resources such as self-efficacy (Xu et al., 2015), and on the other hand increase employees’ emotional exhaustion (Xu et al., 2015) due to augmented perception of job demands, such as workload. Design/Methodology/Approach/Intervention A sample of 1505 nurses completed a self-report questionnaire. A full-model SEM approach was used for data analysis. Results obtained or expected The model shows a good fit: chi-square(797)= 2733.403; p < .001; CFI = .91; TLI = .90; RMSEA = .04 (.039, .042); SRMR = .06. Results confirm that, on the one hand, Abusive Supervision has a negative direct impact on Work Engagement (standardized beta = -.15) also through a weak mediation of Occupational Self-Efficacy (standardized beta = -.01); on the other hand, Abusive Supervision increases followers’ Emotional Exhaustion (standardized beta = .20) also through the mediation of perception of Workload (standardized beta = .03). Direct and indirect effects are presented. Limitations Limitations include the cross-sectional nature of the study, which could only give starting insights about the loss spiral, and the lack of differentiation of effects based on the specific characteristics of the medical units. Conclusions – research and or practical implications/Originality/Value Theoretical implications of the present study are twofold: 1) deepening the role of leadership in the JD-R model, in this case as a contextual factor (a predictor of resources and demands); 2) giving suggestions about the functioning of the loss spiral. Longitudinal analysis is required to better explore the dynamics of the loss spiral. Practical suggestions concern tips for nurse managers about the crucial role of leadership in improving followers’ resources (against the impact of negative leadership styles which determine a resource loss). Relevance to the Congress Theme In the work of the future, health care leaders need to be more aware of their role and their "power" to improve the resources of their subordinates. This resource enhancement is especially important in the health care sector, considering that nurses’ workload will become increasingly heavier in the times to come. Relevant UN SDGs Decent work and economic growth Good health and wellbeing