How Divestiture Socialization Masks Intermittent Supervisory Abuse: A Multilevel Analysis in Ad-Hoc Aircrew Teams

While vital for assimilating newcomers into organizational identity in the hospitality industry, socialization may justify abusive behavior. The impact of divestiture socialization on abusive supervision thus warrants investigation. Drawing on the theory of team stimuli typology, we examined the effects of divestiture socialization on intermittent supervisory abuse within ad-hoc high-performance teams. Utilizing multistage sampling, we recruited 380 aircrew newcomers from 21 airlines in China and Singapore. A multilevel moderated mediation model was tested using hierarchical linear modeling. Results indicate that individual- and unit-level divestiture socialization promotes perceptions of intermittent abusive supervision, mediated by aggressive norms at the unit level. These effects intensify when seniority dictates resource distribution and social hierarchy. The findings advance our understanding of the repercussions of divestiture socialization for destructive leadership perceptions, aiding hospitality and tourism policymakers in improving socialization practices and resource allocation to mitigate workplace abuse.