Relationship between team-level abusive supervision and team performance: a mediated moderation model

Purpose This paper aims to answer the question of when and why team-level abusive supervision affects team performance. Drawing on social information processing theory, this study investigates the moderating role of task interdependence and the mediating role of team cohesion in the relationship between team-level abusive supervision and team performance. Design/methodology/approach This study used data from a three-wave survey of 117 teams with a time interval of one month. The authors conducted a mediated moderation analysis to test the model using Mplus 8.3. Findings The findings revealed that the presence of high task interdependence buffers the negative effect of team-level abusive supervision on team performance. Furthermore, team cohesion mediates the interactive effects of team-level abusive supervision and task interdependence on team performance. The results have both theoretical and practical implications, which are discussed. Originality/value This study examined the moderating role of task interdependence and the mediating role of team cohesion in the relationship between team-level abusive supervision and team performance. This is a novel contribution to the literature, as previous research did not examine these factors. While a few studies have recognized that team-level abusive supervision negatively impacts team performance, relatively little is known about the boundary conditions and underlying mechanisms associated with team-level abusive supervision’s adverse effect on team performance.