Bj. Tepper et al., Personality moderators of the relationship between abusive supervision andsubordinates' resistance, J APPL PSYC, 86(5), 2001, pp. 974-983
Results of a study using data collected at 2 points in time, separated by 6
months, suggested that subordinates resisted their supervisors' downward i
nfluence tactics with greater frequency when their supervisors were more ab
usive and that subordinates' personality moderated the effects of abusive s
uper-vision. The relationship between abusive supervision and subordinates'
dysfunctional resistance was stronger among subordinates who were lower in
conscientiousness than among subordinates who were higher in conscientious
ness, but this effect emerged only for subordinates who were also lower in
agreeableness. The relationship between abusive supervision and subordinate
s' constructive resistance was stronger among subordinates who were higher
in conscientiousness than among subordinates who were lower in conscientiou
sness. The study's implications for theory and research are discussed.