Does taking the good with the bad make things worse? How abusive supervision and leader–member exchange interact to impact need satisfaction and organizational deviance

We integrate and extend past work on self-determination theory and mixed relationships, or relationships characterized by both conflict and support, to address the question of how abusive supervision promotes subordinate organizational deviance. In so doing, we propose a mediated moderation model wherein abusive supervision and leader–member exchange interact to predict organizational deviance, with psychological need satisfaction mediating the effect of the interaction on organizational deviance. This hypothesized model was supported with multi-wave data collected from 260 employees. Notably, our model was supported after controlling for justice perceptions and organizational social exchange as alternative mediators. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

► We study how abusive supervision promotes subordinate organizational deviance. ► We found abusive supervision was negatively related to basic need satisfaction. ► Basic need satisfaction was negatively related to organizational deviance. ► LMX exacerbated the abusive supervision and basic need satisfaction relation. ► The mediated moderation model was supported, after controlling alternate mediators.