The Relationship of Abusive and Supportive Workplace Supervision to Employee Burnout and Upward Influence Tactics

ABSTRACT The study examines the outcomes of supervisors' abusive and supportive behaviors in terms of employees' burnout (i.e., emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment) and upward influence tactics (i.e., forceful tactics and persuasive tactics). Questionnaires were administered to 249 employees in varied workplace settings. Supervisors' abusive behaviors were found to be positively related to depersonalization and emotional exhaustion of subordinates and the subordinates' use of forceful upward influence tactics. Supportive leadership behaviors were related to the use of upward influence tactics through the mediation of personal accomplishment. The results are discussed in the context of the cyclical effects of subordinate-supervisor behaviors.