Abusive Supervision Mediates Self-Fulfilling Prophecies: The Moderating Role of Outcome Dependence

This manuscript examines a conceptual model that casts subordinate performance both as an antecedent and a consequence of abusive supervision and introduces supervisors’ outcome dependence as a key boundary condition. Combining predictions from moral exclusion and interdependence theory, we hypothesize that supervisors’ perceptions of subordinate performance will negatively associate with abusive supervision only if supervisors’ outcomes depend on such performance. Further, we propose that abusive supervision will inversely relate with subordinates’ subsequent, actual work performance. Finally, we build on the self-fulfilling prophecy literature to integrate these hypotheses. Under conditions of high (but not low) outcome dependence, abusive supervision is suggested to represent a crucial mediator that links subordinates’ perceived and actual work performance. We empirically test these hypotheses across two independent studies, using both an experimental scenario design (N = 157; Study 1) and a field research design (N = 183; Study 2). Results supported our predictions across both studies. All in all, these findings promote new knowledge on the origins of abusive supervision and advance a more comprehensive view of the abusive supervision – subordinate performance linkage, illustrating such hostile supervisor behavior as a possible mediating mechanism for self-fulfilling prophecy effects in organizations.