Leadership that silences: abusive supervision and acquiescent silence from a COR theory perspective

Purpose Drawing on conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study aims to examine how abusive supervision fosters acquiescent silence among frontline hospitality employees by specifying the resource-based mechanisms and contextual conditions shaping this process. Specifically, the authors examine dissatisfaction with leader behaviour and employee resource depletion (emotional exhaustion) as mediators, while negative perceptions of the organisational ethical climate are examined as a moderator. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative study was conducted using measures adopted from published sources. The sample size was determined through power analysis. Data were collected from frontline employees in the hospitality sector. A three-wave time-lagged design was used for data collection (N = 293) to mitigate common method bias. Partial least squares – structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed for data analysis. Findings Dissatisfaction with leader behaviour mediated the effect of abusive supervision on both acquiescent silence and resource depletion. Resource depletion, in turn, mediated the abusive supervision-acquiescent silence relationship. Dissatisfaction with leader behaviour and resource depletion also sequentially mediated the relationship between abusive supervision and acquiescent silence. Perceptions of a negative ethical climate moderated dissatisfaction–silence relationship. Practical implications The findings of this study can inform the development of a work culture that mitigates employee withdrawal behaviours, such as acquiescent silence, resulting from abusive supervisory behaviours. Originality/value This study identifies acquiescent silence as a dominant withdrawal response to abusive supervision in high-demand service roles, repositions dissatisfaction as a proximal trigger of resource loss, establishes resource depletion as the central psychological mechanism linking mistreatment to silence and demonstrates that ethical climate functions as a contextual resource reservoir or drain. These insights extend COR theory beyond individual stressors and offer context-sensitive guidance for sustaining employee voice in hospitality settings.