How does paternalistic leadership evoke abusive supervision? The mediating role of territorial behaviour

This study examines the impact of paternalistic leadership on abusive supervision through territorial behaviour. Drawing on trait activation theory, we conducted two experimental studies: Study 1 involved 421 frontline employees in China, whereas Study 2 collected data in two waves from 248 employees in the hospitality industry. The results indicate a positive association between authoritative leadership and abusive supervision. However, this relationship is moderated by benevolent and moral leadership, which jointly mediate this effect through territorial behaviour. Specifically, under conditions of authoritative leadership, territorial behaviour is more pronounced in the absence of benevolent and moral leadership, diminishing when these leadership styles are robust. Similarly, consistent territorial behaviour exacerbates abusive supervision in the absence of benevolent and moral leadership but diminishes when these forms of leadership are strong. This study discusses the theoretical and practical implications for management and proposes avenues for future research.