ABUSIVE SUPERVISION AND WORKPLACE DEVIANCE: THE MODERATING ROLE OF POWER DISTANCE IN IT ORGANIZATIONS

Abstract

Abusive supervision is a growing concern in high-pressure environments such as Information Technology (IT) organizations. Guided by displaced aggression theory, this study investigates how such supervisory mistreatment can lead employees to engage in workplace deviance, defined as voluntary behavior that violates organizational norms and causes harm. When direct confrontation with abusive supervisors is perceived as risky or inappropriate, employees may redirect their frustration toward the organization through deviant actions. Furthermore, the study examines the moderating role of power distance orientation, the extent to which individuals accept and expect unequal power distribution. Employees with a high-power distance orientation are more likely to tolerate hierarchical authority and refrain from retaliatory behavior. In contrast, those with a low power distance orientation may be less accepting of unjust authority and more prone to react negatively. A cross-sectional, quantitative approach was employed using a structured, self-administered questionnaire. A total of 300 surveys were distributed among employees in Sri Lankan IT organizations, yielding 230 valid responses through convenience sampling. Validated scales were used to measure abusive supervision, organizational deviance, and power distance. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted using SPSS to test direct and interaction effects. Abusive supervision was positively associated with organizational deviance (β = 0.41, p < 0.001), indicating that higher levels of supervisory abuse led to increased deviant behaviors toward the organization. The interaction term between abusive supervision and power distance was significant (β = -0.19, p < 0.01), confirming the moderating effect. A simple slope analysis revealed that the relationship between abusive supervision and deviance was stronger among employees with low power distance orientation (simple slope = 0.52, p < 0.001), while the relationship was weaker for those with high power distance (simple slope = 0.28, p < 0.05). The model explained 38% of the variance in workplace deviance (R² = 0.38). The findings support displaced aggression theory by showing that abusive supervision fosters organizational deviance, especially among employees who do not accept hierarchical inequality. Power distance plays a buffering role in this relationship. Managers must recognize the hidden costs of abusive behaviors and consider employees’ cultural orientations.