Their Pain, Our Pleasure: How and When Peer Abusive Supervision Leads to Third Parties’ Schadenfreude and Work Engagement

Yueqiao Qiao, Zhe Zhang, Ming Jia

Research output: Journal PublicationArticlepeer-review

28 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Abusive supervision negatively affects its direct victims. However, recent studies have begun to explore how abusive supervision affects third parties (peer abusive supervision). We use the emotion-based process model of schadenfreude as a basis to suggest that third parties will experience schadenfreude and increase their work engagement as a response to peer abusive supervision (PAS). Furthermore, we suggest that the context of competitive goal interdependence facilitates the indirect relationship between PAS and third parties’ work engagement on schadenfreude. We use a mixed-method approach to test our hypotheses. Data from an experimental study conducted by facial expression analysis technology (Study 1, a 2 × 2 design, N = 104) and a multi‐wave field study (Study 2, N = 229) generally support our hypotheses. Overall, our study extends PAS literature and meaningfully informs practitioners who aim to promote ethical workplace environments.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)695-711
Number of pages17
JournalJournal of Business Ethics
Volume169
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2021
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Abusive supervision
  • Goal interdependence
  • Peer abusive supervision
  • Schadenfreude
  • Work engagement

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Business and International Management
  • General Business,Management and Accounting
  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
  • Economics and Econometrics
  • Law

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