Emotional Labor Under Abusive Supervision: Evidence from Nonstandard Employees in Public Organizations

Nonstandard employees typically receive less favorable treatment than their standard counterparts, yet little is known about how supervisors manage and interact with them. Drawing on three-wave, time-lagged survey data from 650 nonstandard employees in Chinese public organizations, this study reveals that abusive supervision increases employees’ use of surface acting while reducing their use of deep acting, thereby intensifying emotional exhaustion. Unexpectedly, the likelihood of standard employment, which is often regarded as a positive expectation, intensifies rather than mitigates the negative effects of abusive supervision. This study enhances our understanding of emotional labor under abusive supervision and provides practical insights for public organizations to better motivate and support nonstandard employees.