Abusive supervision differentiation and work outcomes: An integrative review and future research agenda

Abstract

Although the volume of literature on abusive supervision differentiation has increased in recent years, it remains a loosely organized body of work, with various conceptualizations, measurements, and contradictory opinions that create considerable confusion for future research. In this paper, we systematically review the conceptualizations and measurements and differentiate two levels of abusive supervision differentiation: abusive supervision dispersion at the group level and relative abusive supervision at the individual-within-group level. We then review the theoretical approaches and empirical findings on the consequences of abusive supervision dispersion and relative abusive supervision. Through this holistic review, we identify several conceptual and measurement issues associated with abusive supervision differentiation and find contradictory findings regarding the effects of abusive supervision differentiation. Accordingly, we propose a future research agenda that highlights the areas where additional research is needed to further our understanding of this topic. By doing so, we contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the complexity of abusive supervision differentiation and to the theoretical development of this subject.