Cascading effect of supervisor job insecurity: the roles of abusive supervision and supervisor communion striving

Purpose This study aims to uncover the cascading effect of job insecurity from supervisors to employees by investigating the mediating effect of abusive supervision and the moderating effect of supervisor communion striving. Design/methodology/approach Two-wave time-lagged data were collected from a sample of 356 employees working under 34 supervisors in three companies in China. Findings The cascading effect of supervisor job insecurity toward employees was more likely to occur among low communion-striving supervisors. Specifically, our findings reveal that supervisors low in communion striving were more likely to exhibit abusive supervision toward employees, which, in turn, was positively associated with employee job insecurity. Practical implications Organizations need to be aware of the cascading effect of supervisor job insecurity on employees and implement leadership training programs that enhance supervisor communion striving and prevent abusive supervision. Originality/value Our study advances job insecurity literature by uncovering the cascading effect of supervisor job insecurity on employees and its critical boundary condition. We establish abusive supervision as the underlying explanatory mechanism for this cascade, while identifying supervisor communion striving as the pivotal factor attenuating its effects.