Provoking or backfiring? A contingent model of how abusive supervision influences learning from failure through fear

Abstract

Introduction: Unlike prior research that has primarily examined the dysfunctional-and occasionally functional-effects of abusive supervision in general work settings, this study focuses specifically on the context of failure. It investigates when fear of failure induced by abusive supervision facilitates learning from failure, and when it stifles such learning. Grounded in conservation of resources theory and job demands-resources theory, we propose that abusive supervision elicits fear of failure in employees, which subsequently impairs their ability to learn from failure in jobs with high task variety, yet may enhance it in jobs with low task variety.

Methods: To test the proposed theoretical framework, we employed a quantitative research design using three-wave survey data. The sample consisted of 189 employees who provided longitudinal responses to minimize common method bias. We measured abusive supervision, fear of failure, task variety, and learning from failure using established academic scales.

Results: The findings demonstrate that abusive supervision is positively associated with fear of failure. Furthermore, task variety moderates not only the relationship between fear of failure and learning from failure, but also the indirect effect of abusive supervision on learning from failure via fear of failure.

Discussion: By extending abusive supervision research from routine performance to failure learning-a context in which employees are especially prone to defensive withdrawal-this study identifies fear of failure as the affective mechanism that captures the fundamental "arousal- depletion" tension inherent in abusive supervision. We further demonstrate that task variety functions as a directional switch, capable of either amplifying the resource drain caused by abuse or buffering its negative effects, even converting fear-driven responses into positive learning outcomes.

Keywords: abusive supervision; double-edge effects; fear of failure; learning from failure; task variety.