Assessing abusive supervisors: the moderating role of abuser gender.

First published: November 5, 2021 https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2581

Commentary

This study examined employee evaluations of abusive supervision and the role of the leader's gender.

Because abusive behavior violates stereotypes traditionally prescribed for female leaders (e.g., communal, caring), abusive supervision is considered less typical for female leaders than for male leaders. As in this proposal, gender stereotype theory suggests that among leaders who engage in abusive supervision, employees rate female leaders as less effective than male leaders, but suggests that employees attribute less abuse of female leaders to internal characteristics than male leaders.

Results from both an experimental study (Study 1) and a field study (Study 2) conducted with working adults supported this hypothesis.

As a result, abusive supervision of female leaders is considered a less typical leadership behavior. Suggesting that this attitude is associated with lower ratings of effectiveness compared to male leaders, employees were less likely to make internal attributions about abusive behavior of female leaders because abuse was viewed as an atypical female behavior.