We report a systematic and critical review of abusive supervision research to provide a comprehensive catalogue of the correlates of abusive supervision (i.e., antecedents, outcomes, mediators, and moderators) and identify four major challenges facing the field. First, abusive supervision is conceptualized in a confused manner that conflates followers’ subjective evaluations of abuse with leaders’ behaviors. Second, we consider how conceptual confusion is reflected in and undermines dominant measurement tools. Third, we identify and critique overreliance on cross-sectional survey-based studies and vignette experiments, which vary considerably in the extent to which they can evidence causal effects. Fourth, we consider the fact that abusive supervision is a low base rate phenomenon (i.e., is rarely reported). Using novel and simulated data we demonstrate that most past research is ill-equipped to make claims about the effects of intermediate or high levels of abusive supervision. Throughout, we explain how each challenge limits past research and offer achievable recommendations for a fundamental rethink of abusive supervision. In the discussion, we synthesize the recommendations for rethinking the conceptualization, measurement, and empirical study of abusive supervision. Only by overcoming these challenges will future research be robust enough to provide meaningful theoretical advances and useful policy implications.

我们报告了对滥用监督研究的系统和批判性审查，以提供滥用监督相关因素（即前因、结果、中介和调节因素）的综合目录，并确定该领域面临的四大挑战。首先，滥用监督以一种混淆的方式被概念化，它将追随者对滥用的主观评价与领导者的行为混为一谈。其次，我们考虑概念混淆如何反映并破坏主要测量工具。第三，我们确定并批评对基于横断面调查的研究和小插图实验的过度依赖，它们可以证明因果关系的程度差异很大。第四，我们认为滥用监管是一种低基准率现象（即很少报道）。使用新的和模拟的数据，我们证明大多数过去的研究都不足以就中级或高级滥用监督的影响做出声明。在整个过程中，我们解释了每个挑战如何限制过去的研究，并为从根本上重新思考滥用监督提供可行的建议。在讨论中，我们综合了重新思考滥用监督的概念化、测量和实证研究的建议。只有克服这些挑战，未来的研究才会足够稳健，以提供有意义的理论进步和有用的政策影响。我们解释了每个挑战如何限制过去的研究，并为从根本上重新思考滥用监督提供可行的建议。在讨论中，我们综合了重新思考滥用监督的概念化、测量和实证研究的建议。只有克服这些挑战，未来的研究才会足够稳健，以提供有意义的理论进步和有用的政策影响。我们解释了每个挑战如何限制过去的研究，并为从根本上重新思考滥用监督提供可行的建议。在讨论中，我们综合了重新思考滥用监督的概念化、测量和实证研究的建议。只有克服这些挑战，未来的研究才会足够稳健，以提供有意义的理论进步和有用的政策影响。