Impact of aggressive humor on dysfunctional resistance

The present study examined the mediating effects of negative affect at work between abusive supervision and dysfunctional resistance, considering aggressive humor as a moderator. Two hundred and thirty-five full time working employees participated in the study. Correlational results indicated that aggressive humor was related to dysfunctional resistance. However aggressive humor was not related to negative affect at work. Aggressive humor moderated the direct path (i.e., between abusive supervision and dysfunctional resistance), but it did not moderate the indirect paths. Finally, the study found support for negative reciprocity beliefs (Gouldner, 1960). Implications for practice include an emphasis on self-awareness training for managers.