Mechanisms of influence of abusive supervision on employees’ unsafe production based on exchange theory and social cognitive theory

This study, grounded in the theories of psychological capital and social cognition, constructs a theoretical model exploring the impact of abusive management on employee unsafe behavior, incorporating psychological capital as a mediating variable and transformational leadership as a moderating variable. Survey data were collected from 412 employees of large coal mining enterprises, and structural equation modeling was employed for empirical validation. The findings reveal that abusive management can trigger unsafe behaviors among employees and diminish the influence of psychological capital. Additionally, psychological capital, serving as an intermediary, indirectly reduces unsafe production behaviors. Transformational leadership, by facilitating employees to attain optimal safety performance through personalized care, exerts a negative moderating effect between abusive management and unsafe behavior. The conclusions of this study offer valuable insights for enterprises aiming to minimize employee unsafe behaviors and enhance the efficiency of safety management.