Abusive supervision as a trigger of malevolent creativity: do the Light Triad traits matter?

PurposeDrawing on affective events theory, the authors investigated whether exposure to abusive supervision triggers malevolent creativity among victims and the role of psychological contract violation (PCV) as a mediator in this relationship. The authors also examined the moderating effects of the Light Triad personality traits comprising Kantianism, humanism and faith in humanity.Design/methodology/approachThe sample comprised 297 junior doctors working at various clinical departments of public sector hospitals in three major cities of Pakistan. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and the hypothesized model was tested using the covariance-based structural equation modeling in Mplus.FindingsResults demonstrated that abusive supervision influences malevolent creativity directly and indirectly mediated through PCV. Further, results showed that individuals high on the Light Triad traits are less likely to engage in malevolently creative acts in response to abusive supervision and feelings of violation than those low on the Light Triad.Originality/valueThe authors contribute to the literature by demonstrating that exposure to abusive supervision influences the generation of malevolently creative ideas among subordinates. Further, the authors showed that subordinates high on the Light Triad handle abusive supervisory behaviors and negative emotional reactions more productively and are less likely to retaliate against perceived mistreatment compared to their counterparts.