Subordinates’ performance-prove goal orientation and their perception of abusive supervision

I investigated the relationship between subordinates’ performance-prove goal orientation and their perception of abusive supervision, and examined whether feedback-seeking behavior toward supervisors mediated this link. I collected data using a three-wave survey of 173 employees who were working in a variety of occupations in Taiwan. Empirical results indicate that when subordinates had a performance-prove goal orientation, their perception of abusive supervision was partially decreased through their feedback-seeking behavior toward supervisors. Specifically, those employees with a higher (vs. lower) performance-prove goal orientation sought more feedback from supervisors and, thus, perceived abusive supervision to a lesser degree. These findings contribute to the literature on the antecedents of abusive supervision in terms of subordinate-related factors. Managerial implications are proposed to enable employees to be aware of how their job performance is understood and viewed by their supervisors.