Abusive Supervision and Knowledge Sharing: Social Exchange Theory

Based on social exchange theory, this study aims to suggest an integrative explanation for the negative effect of abusive supervision on knowledge sharing by exploring its main effect, mechanism, and moderators. Specifically, this study investigates how abusive supervision links to knowledge sharing as mediated by trust in supervisor. More importantly, we examine the moderating effects of employee exchange ideology and perceived organizational support (POS) in the relationship between abusive supervision and knowledge sharing through trust in supervisor. Utilizing a sample comprising full-time employees and their immediate supervisors (N = 248), we found that our results support most of our hypotheses. Consistent with our hypotheses, abused employees showed a low level of knowledge sharing and such negative relationship was mediated by trust in supervisor. Within a moderated mediation framework, the results also showed that POS moderates the negative relationship between abusive supervision and knowledge sharing via trust in supervisor. Contrary to our hypotheses, our results showed that the negative effects of abusive supervision on trust in supervisor and on knowledge sharing via trust in supervisor were attenuated when exchange ideology is high than when it is low. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.