The Consequences of Abusive Supervision: Examining the Role of Self-efficacy and Job Autonomy

Abusive supervision is increasingly recognized as a detrimental factor in contemporary organizations, incurring significant costs. This study sought to unravel the mediating effect of self-efficacy in the association between abusive supervision and knowledge hiding behavior, and to explore how job autonomy moderates this mediated relationship. Utilizing data from 293 Korean full-time employees, the findings indicate that abusive supervision is positively linked to knowledge hiding behavior, with self-efficacy acting as a significant mediator. Furthermore, job autonomy was observed to moderate both the direct relationship between abusive supervision and self-efficacy and the indirect effect of abusive supervision on knowledge hiding behavior through self-efficacy. Specifically, the detrimental impacts of abusive supervision were less pronounced under conditions of high job autonomy. The study’s theoretical and practical implications will be discussed.