Linking Abusive Supervision to Engagement and Burnout

The present research extends the differentiated job demands-resource (JD-R) model by integrating the main propositions of the transactional theory of stress to examine how cognitive appraisal processes link perceptions of abusive supervision to engagement and burnout. We conducted two studies using a broad sample of U.S. employees. Study 1 (N = 243) developed and validated the 22-item abusive supervision demand appraisal measure (ASDAM), which was determined to be a valid means to measure how employees appraise abusive supervision as a challenge and/or hindrance demand. Study 2 (N = 273) found that hindrance demand appraisals mediate the relationship between perceived abusive supervision and burnout, while challenge demand appraisals mediate the relationship between perceived abusive supervision and engagement. Empirical evidence indicates that abusive supervision can be appraised simultaneously as a challenge and hindrance demand that, in turn, have differential relationships with engagement and exhaustion.