How do followers cope with abusive supervision? Coworker support as a social cure mechanism

Purpose Drawing on social identity theory and the group engagement model, this study investigates how abusive supervision influences followers’ organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Specifically, we focus on the impact of followers' perceptions of their group (social identification) on their engagement in OCB in response to supervisors' abusive behaviors and the moderating effect of perceived coworker support (PCS) on the relationship between abusive supervision and individual OCB. Design/methodology/approach Structured survey data were collected from 362 employees working in various organizations in Korea. The analysis was conducted to determine the mediating role of social identification in the relationship between abusive supervision and OCB, and to assess the moderating effect of perceived coworker support on this relationship. Findings Abusive supervision affects followers’ OCB and individual followers’ level of social identification mediates the relationship between abusive supervision and followers’ OCB. Moreover, perceived coworker support was found to moderate this relationship, impacting the strength of the indirect relationship between abusive supervision and OCB. Originality/value This research provides a nuanced understanding of the interplay between abusive supervision, social identification, and OCB by examining both mediating and moderating dynamics. It contributes to the literature by identifying how supportive coworker environments can mitigate the negative impacts of abusive supervision on OCB.