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Employee state paranoia: linking abusive supervision with employee voice behavior

Hira Rani (Department of Business Administration, Sukkur IBA University, Sukkur, Pakistan)
Syed Mir Muhammad Shah (Department of Business Administration, Sukkur IBA University, Sukkur, Pakistan)
Waheed Ali Umrani (Karachi School for Business and Leadership, Karachi, Pakistan)
Jawad Syed (Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan)
Gul Afshan (Department of Business Administration, Sukkur IBA University, Sukkur, Pakistan)

Leadership & Organization Development Journal

ISSN: 0143-7739

Article publication date: 28 July 2021

Issue publication date: 11 August 2021

840

Abstract

Purpose

Utilizing affective event theory (AET), this paper aims to understand the affective reasoning behind choosing to speak up for or against abusive supervision. For this purpose, the authors examine the underlying mechanism of employee state paranoia in the relationship between abusive supervision and promotive and prohibitive voice of employees.

Design/methodology/approach

Data from 307 microfinance bank employees were collected using supervisor–subordinate nested design and time-lag approach. The analysis was performed through partial least square (PLS) structural equation modeling using Smart PLS software.

Findings

The results support the direct relationship of abusive supervision with promotive and prohibitive voice. They also support the mediating relation of paranoia arousal between abusive supervision and promotive voice. However, the results do not support the mediating relationship of paranoia arousal between abusive supervision and prohibitive voice.

Originality/value

In light of the literature drawn from AET and empirical data, this study forwards robust recommendations for theory and practice and may assist future researchers interested in the role of employee paranoia arousal.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Funding: There was no funding available for this research study.

Informed consent: The participants were informed about the purpose of our study; they were also informed that they would be required to respond to our survey for three different times. Participants were also informed that they had a right to decline to participate in survey. They also had a right to withdraw from our survey at any time point and some of the respondents discontinued to respond indicating that they were busy, especially at the second time of data collection (T2). The participants were also informed that their personal data will be kept confidential hence this survey does not offer any potential harm to their reputation professionally or personally.

ETHICAL APPROVAL STATEMENT: The study used a survey method and the information related to organizations, jobs and individuals were kept strictly confidential. We obtained the Ethical Approval Statement from Ethical Review Board of the parent University of the First Author before the data collection process was started.

Conflict of interest: All the authors declare no conflict of interest.

Citation

Rani, H., Shah, S.M.M., Umrani, W.A., Syed, J. and Afshan, G. (2021), "Employee state paranoia: linking abusive supervision with employee voice behavior", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 42 No. 7, pp. 1053-1070. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-09-2020-0413

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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