Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Supervisor Workplace Stress and Abusive Supervision: The Buffering Effect of Exercise

  • Published:
Journal of Business and Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

We examine how supervisor stress is associated with employee-rated abusive supervision. In addition, we test the premise that higher levels of physical exercise by supervisors can buffer the negative effects of stress on their relationship with their subordinates.

Design/Methodology/Approach

A matched sample of 98 employed individuals and their direct supervisors was used to test our hypotheses.

Findings

Results suggest that increased levels of supervisor-reported stress are related to the increased experience of employee-rated abusive supervision. We also find that the relationship between supervisor stress and abusive behavior can be diminished when supervisors engage in moderate levels of physical exercise.

Implications

While the current economic conditions and a host of other trying workplace factors mean that supervisors are likely to experience workplace stress, we found evidence that they do not necessarily have to transfer these frustrations onto those they supervise. Our study supports a link between supervisor stress and employee perceptions of abusive supervision, but this is a link that can be loosened if supervisors engage in moderate levels of physical exercise.

Originality/Value

The results of this study add to the modest number of antecedents to abusive supervision that have been discovered in existing research. In addition, this is the first study to examine how exercise can buffer the relationship between supervisor stress and employee perceptions of abusive supervision.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Please note that all of the results reported in this paper are similar without the use of the control variables included in the regression equations.

  2. When conducting the analyses using the full sample (i.e., including employees who have worked for their supervisor for less than 2 months), the results for hypothesis 2 are almost identical. However, hypothesis 1 is not supported. The difference in these results could be due to the fact that newer employees have not had the opportunity to experience abusive supervision; the supervisors of new employees may be “taking it easy” on their new employees; or there may be a “grace” period where employees give their new supervisor the benefit of the doubt even when they exhibit negative behaviors which would be considered later to be abusive.

References

  • Aiken, L. S., & West, S. G. (1991). Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andersson, L. M., & Pearson, C. M. (1999). Tit for tat? The spiraling effect of incivility in the workplace. Academy of Management Review, 24, 452–471.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aryee, S., Chen, Z. X., Sun, L., & Debrah, Y. (2007). Antecedents and outcomes of abusive supervision: Test of a trickle-down model. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 191–201.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ashforth, B. (1997). Petty tyranny in organizations: A preliminary examination of antecedents and consequences. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, 14, 126–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Austin, V., Shah, S., & Muncer, S. (2005). Teacher stress and coping strategies used to reduce stress. Occupational Therapy International, 12, 63–80.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1173–1182.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Biddle, S. J. H. (2000). Emotion, mood, and physical activity. In S. J. H. Biddle, K. R. Fox, & S. H. Boutcher (Eds.), Physical activity and psychological well-being (pp. 63–88). London, UK: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Binnewies, C., Sonnentag, S., & Mojza, E. J. (2010). Recovery during the weekend and fluctuations in weekly job performance: A week-level study examining intra-individual relationships. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 83, 419–441.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, J. D. (1991). Staying fit and staying well: Physical fitness as a moderator of life stress. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60, 555–561.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Buckaloo, B. J., Krug, K. S., & Nelson, K. B. (2009). Exercise and low-security inmate: Changes in depression, stress, and anxiety. The Prison Journal, 89, 328–343.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burton, J. P., & Hoobler, J. M. (2006). Subordinate self-esteem and abusive supervision. Journal of Managerial Issues, 18, 340–355.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caspersen, C. J., Pereira, M. A., & Curran, K. M. (2000). Changes in physical activity patterns in the United States, by sex and cross-sectional age. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 32, 1601–1609.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, C., & Berwick, S. (2001). Factors affecting psychological well-being of three groups of suicide-prone prisoners. Current Psychology, 20, 169–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Craike, M. J., Coleman, D., & MacMahon, C. (2010). Direct and buffering effects of physical activity on stress-related depression in mothers of infants. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 32, 23–38.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Crews, D. J., & Landers, D. M. (1987). A meta-analytic review of aerobic fitness and reactivity to psychosocial stressors. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 19, S114–S120.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Crone, D., Heaney, L., & Owens, C. S. (2009). Physical activity and mental health. In L. Dugdill, D. Crone, & R. Murphy (Eds.), Physical activity and health promotion: Evidence-based approaches to practice (pp. 198–217). Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crone, D., Smith, A., & Gough, B. (2005). ‘I feel totally at one, totally alive, and totally happy’: A psycho-social explanation of the physical activity and mental health relationship. Health Education Research, 20, 600–611.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dohrenwend, B. S., Dohrenwend, B. P., Dodson, M., & Shrout, P. E. (1984). Symptoms, hassles, social supports, and life events: Problem of confounded measures. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 93, 222–230.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Duffy, M. K., Ganster, D. C., & Pagon, M. (2001). Social undermining and social support in the workplace. Academy of Management Journal, 45, 331–351.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Falkenberg, L. E. (1987). Employee fitness programs: Their impact on the employee and the organization. Academy of Management Review, 12, 511–522.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fritz, C., & Sonnentag, S. (2005). Recovery, health, and job performance: Effects of weekend experiences. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 10, 187–199.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gerber, M., Kellmann, M., Hartmann, T., & Pühse, U. (2010). Do exercise and fitness buffer against stress among Swiss police and emergency response officers? Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 11, 286–294.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gerber, M., & Pühse, U. (2009). Do exercise and fitness protect against stress-induced health complaints? A review of the literature. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 37, 801–819.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harris, K. J., Kacmar, K. M., & Zivnuska, S. (2007). An investigation of abusive supervision as a predictor of performance and the meaning of work as a moderator of the relationship. Leadership Quarterly, 18, 252–263.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, A. F., & Matthes, J. (2009). Computational procedures for probing interactions in OLS and logistic regression: SPSS and SAS implementations. Behavior Research Methods, 41, 924–936.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hershcovis, M. S., & Barling, J. (2010). Towards a multi-foci approach to workplace aggression: A meta-analytic review of the outcomes from different perpetrators. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 31, 24–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hobfoll, S. E. (1989). Conservation of resources: A new attempt at conceptualizing stress. American Psychologist, 44, 513–524.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hogan, E. A., & Overmyer-Day, L. (1994). The psychology of mergers and acquisitions. In C. L. Cooper & I. T. Robertson (Eds.), International review of industrial and organizational psychology (Vol. 9, pp. 247–282). Chichester, UK: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoobler, J. M., & Brass, D. J. (2006). Abusive supervision and family undermining as displaced aggression. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91, 1125–1133.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hoobler, J. M., & Swanberg, J. (2006). The enemy is not us: Unexpected workplace violence trends. Public Personnel Management, 35, 229–246.

    Google Scholar 

  • Inness, M., Barling, J., & Turner, N. (2005). Understanding supervisor-targeted aggression: A within-person, between-jobs design. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90, 731–739.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Keashly, L., Trott, V., & MacLean, L. M. (1994). Abusive behavior in the workplace: A preliminary investigation. Violence and Victims, 9, 341–357.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kobasa, S. C., Maddi, S. R., & Puccetti, M. C. (1982). Personality and exercise as buffers in the stress-illness relationships. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 5, 391–404.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus, R., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York, NY: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levinson, H. (1996). When executives burn out. Harvard Business Review , 74, 152–163.

    Google Scholar 

  • Little, T. D., Cunningham, W. A., Shahar, G., & Widaman, K. F. (2002). To parcel or not to parcel: Exploring the question and weighing the merits. Structural Equation Modeling, 9, 151–173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lovelace, K. J., Manz, C. C., & Alves, J. C. (2007). Work stress and leadership development: The role of self-leadership, shared leadership, physical fitness and flow in managing demands and increasing job control. Human Resource Management Review, 17, 374–387.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luria, G., & Torjman, A. (2009). Resources and coping with stressful events. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 30, 685–707.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mackay, G. J., & Neill, J. T. (2010). The effect of ‘green exercise’ on state anxiety and the role of exercise duration, intensity, and greenness: A quasi-experimental study. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 11, 238–245.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matheny, K. B., Curlette, W. L., Aycock, D. W., Pugh, J. L., & Taylor, H. F. (1987). The coping resources inventory for stress. Atlanta, GA: Health Prisms.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meijman, T. F., & Mulder, G. (1998). Psychological aspects of workload. In P. J. D. Drenth, H. Thierry, & C. J. de Wolff (Eds.), Handbook of Work and Organizational Psychology (Vol. 2, pp. 5–33). Hove, England: Psychological Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meurs, J. A., & Perrewé, P. L. (2011). Cognitive activation theory of stress: An integrative theoretical approach to work stress. Journal of Management, 37, 1043–1068.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, N., Pedersen, W. C., Earleywine, M., & Pollock, V. E. (2003). A theoretical model of triggered displaced aggression. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 7, 75–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, M. S., & Ambrose, M. L. (2007). Abusive supervision and workplace deviance and the moderating effects of negative reciprocity beliefs. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 1159–1168.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen-Michel, S. T., Unger, J. B., Hamilton, J., & Spruijt-Metz, D. (2006). Associations between physical activity and perceived stress/hassles in college students. Stress and Health, 22, 179–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norris, R., Carroll, D., & Cochrane, R. (1990). The effects of aerobic and anaerobic training on fitness, blood pressure, and psychological stress and well-being. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 34, 367–375.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Parker, D. F., & DeCotiis, T. A. (1983). Organizational determinants of job stress. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 32, 160–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pearson, C. M., & Porath, C. L. (2004). On incivility, its impact, and directions for future research. In R. W. Griffin & A. O’Leary-Kelly (Eds.), The dark side of organizational behavior (pp. 403–425). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88, 879–903.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rafferty, A. E., Restubog, S. L. D., & Jimmieson, N. L. (2010). Losing sleep: Examining the cascading effects of supervisors’ experience of injustice on subordinates’ psychological health. Work and Stress, 24, 36–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rimmele, U., Seiler, R., Marti, B., Wirtz, P. H., Ehlert, U., & Heinrichs, M. (2009). The level of physical activity affects adrenal and cardiovascular reactivity to psychological stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 34, 190–198.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ritvanen, T., Louhevaara, V., Helin, P., Halonen, T., & Hanninen, O. (2007). Effects of aerobic fitness on the physiological stress response at work. International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, 20, 1–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sonnentag, S., & Bayer, U. V. (2005). Switching off mentally: Predictors and consequences of psychological detachment from work during off-job time. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 10, 393–414.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sonnentag, S., Binnewies, C., & Mojza, E. J. (2008). “Did you have a nice evening?” A day-level study on recovery experiences, sleep, and affect. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93, 674–684.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sonnentag, S., & Kruel, U. (2006). Psychological detachment from work during off-job time: The role of job stressors, job involvement, and recovery-related self-efficacy. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 15, 197–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sonnentag, S., Kuttler, I., & Fritz, C. (2010). Job stressors, emotional exhaustion, and need for recovery: A multi-source study on the benefits of psychological detachment. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 76, 355–365.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sonnentag, S., & Zijlstra, F. R. H. (2006). Job characteristics and off-job activities as predictors of need for recovery, well-being, and fatigue. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91, 330–350.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Srivastava, S., Hagtvet, K. A., & Sen, A. K. (1994). A study of role stress and job anxiety among three groups of employees in a private sector organization. Social Science International, 10, 25–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stephens, T., & Caspersen, C. J. (1994). The demography of physical activity. In C. Bouchard, R. J. Shephard, & T. Stephens (Eds.), Physical activity, fitness and health (pp. 204–213). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, A. H. (2000). Physical activity, anxiety, and stress. In S. J. H. Biddle, K. R. Fox, & S. H. Boutcher (Eds.), Physical activity and psychological well-being (pp. 10–45). London, UK: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, M. K., Markham, A. E., Reis, J. P., Padilla, G. A., Potterat, E. G., Drummond, S. P. A., et al. (2008). Physical fitness influences stress reactions to extreme military training. Military Medicine, 173, 738–742.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tedeschi, J. T., & Norman, N. M. (1985). A social psychological interpretation of displaced aggression. Advances in Group Processes, 2, 29–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tepper, B. J. (2000). Consequences of abusive supervision. Academy of Management Journal, 43, 178–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tepper, B. J. (2007). Abusive supervision in work organizations. Journal of Management, 33, 189–261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tepper, B. J., Duffy, M. K., Henle, C. A., & Lambert, L. S. (2006). Procedural injustice, victim precipitation, and abusive supervision. Personnel Psychology, 59, 101–123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tepper, B. J., Moss, S. E., & Duffy, M. K. (2011). Predictors of abusive supervision: Supervisor perceptions of deep-level similarity, relationship conflict, and subordinate performance. Academy of Management Journal, 54, 279–294.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2003). “Isn’t it fun to get the respect that we’re going to deserve?” Narcissism, social rejection, and aggression. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29, 261–272.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 1063–1070.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wipfli, B. M., Rethorst, C. D., & Landers, D. M. (2008). The anxiolytic effects of exercise: A meta-analysis of randomized trials and dose-response analysis. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 30, 392–410.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yoo, H. L., Eisenmann, J. C., & Franke, W. D. (2009). Independent and combined influence of physical activity and perceived stress on the metabolic syndrome in male law enforcement officers. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 51, 46–53.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zellars, K. L., Tepper, B. J., & Duffy, M. K. (2002). Abusive supervision and subordinates’ organizational citizenship behavior. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 1068–1076.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Management, College of Business, Northern Illinois University, Barsema Hall, DeKalb, IL, 60115, USA

    James P. Burton

  2. Department of Managerial Studies, College of Business Administration, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2212 University Hall, 601 S. Morgan M/C 243, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA

    Jenny M. Hoobler

  3. Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Northern Illinois University, Psychology-Computer Science Building, Rm. 400, DeKalb, IL, 60115, USA

    Melinda L. Scheuer

Authors
  1. James P. Burton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jenny M. Hoobler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Melinda L. Scheuer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to James P. Burton.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Burton, J.P., Hoobler, J.M. & Scheuer, M.L. Supervisor Workplace Stress and Abusive Supervision: The Buffering Effect of Exercise. J Bus Psychol 27, 271–279 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-011-9255-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-011-9255-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation