# The contingency effects of abusive supervision of coworker on helping behaviors: the relationships among the perpetrator, the victim, and the third party

## TL;DR

This study explores how third-party coworkers respond to abusive supervision, finding that their willingness to help depends on factors like similarity to the victim and moral awareness.

## Contribution

The paper introduces the tripartite relationship between perpetrator, victim, and witness in abusive supervision and identifies key moderators of third-party helping behavior.

## Key findings

- Third-party helping behavior decreases when similarity to the victim is low and moral attentiveness is low.
- Perceived supervisor support can reduce the likelihood of helping behavior in response to abusive supervision.
- The study highlights the importance of contextual and personal factors in shaping third-party responses to workplace abuse.

## Abstract

Abusive supervision, characterized by hostile verbal and non-verbal behaviors by supervisors, has been recognized as a significant stressor in the workplace. Although much research has focused on the victim’s and perpetrator’s perspectives, little attention has been given to third-party witnesses and their reactions to abusive supervision, particularly in hospitality contexts. This study investigates the contingent effects of coworker abusive supervision on third-party helping behaviors, focusing on the tripartite relationship between the perpetrator, victim, and witness.

We conducted a field study with 500 employees from various departments in seven four- and five-star hotels in Guangdong, China. Using a two-wave time-lagged survey design, participants completed measures on abusive supervision, deep-level similarity, perceived supervisor support, moral attentiveness, and helping behaviors. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test the hypothesized relationships and moderating effects.

The study found that the relationship between coworker abusive supervision and third-party helping behaviors was moderated by three factors: deep-level similarity with the victim, perceived supervisor support, and moral attentiveness. Specifically, helping behavior was more likely to decrease when similarity with the victim was low, supervisor support was high, and moral attentiveness was low. The results underline the complex nature of third-party responses to abusive supervision.

This research extends existing literature by highlighting the conditional factors that influence whether third-party witnesses decide to help an abused coworker. The findings suggest that interventions in abusive supervision cases should consider not only the relationship between the victim and perpetrator but also the personal characteristics and contextual factors influencing the witnesses. The study provides valuable insights into how workplace dynamics and moral concerns shape responses to supervisory abuse.