Abstract:
Although a great number of research has focused on investigating the detrimental consequences of abusive supervision, some researchers have theorized that abusive supervision can be beneficiary and performance enhancing. One research has found the curvilinear relationship rather than linear relationship between abusive supervision and consequences. In order to give a better understanding to the mechanism between abusive supervision and consequences, this study examined the relationship, both linear and curvilinear, between abusive supervision and personal skill development among western chefs. The hypotheses regarding linear and curvilinear relationship was developed separately by Lazarus and Folkman’s theory of hindrance stressors and activation theory. It was argued that abusive supervision will negatively related to personal skill development with the mediation of emotional exhaustion according to Lazarus and Folkman’s theory of hindrance stressors. By comparison, abusive supervision will demonstrate an inverted U-shaped relationship with subordinates’ personal skill development with partially mediation of emotional exhaustion according to activation theory. This study also tested the moderating effect of learning goal orientation on the curvilinear relationship between abusive supervision and personal skill development. Participants was recruited among western chefs in Hong Kong. A three-phase data collection was conducted to test the hypotheses. The result did not find support for either the linear or curvilinear relationship between abusive supervision and personal skill development. However, the result partly supported the curvilinear relationship between abusive supervision and personal skill development with the moderation of learning goal orientation. Limitations of this study and recommendations for future research was discussed.
