COPING WITH ABUSIVE SUPERVISION

Is there anything abused subordinates can do to cope with their supervisors’ hostility? Abused subordinates use two general kinds of coping strategies, which may be labeled avoidant coping (physical and psychological withdrawal, maintaining physical distance, not coming to work, and reliance on drugs and alcohol) and active coping (directly communicating injustices to the supervisor). 

Research suggests that abused subordinates are more likely to use avoidant coping than active coping but that the use of active coping is a more effective strategy; in a 6-month longitudinal study, it was found that the relationship between abusive supervision measured at Time 1 and psychological distress (i.e., burnout, anxiety, and depression) measured at Time 2 was stronger when subordinates used avoidant coping and weaker when subordinates used active coping. That is, active coping buffered the stressful effects of abusive supervision and avoidant coping exacerbated those effects.

(Rogelberg, 2007)