IDENTITY WORK IN RESPONSE TO ABUSIVE SUPERVISION: COGNITIVE ANTECEDENTS AND CONSEQUENCES FOR MOTIVATION AND PERFORMANCE

Abstract

This dissertation examines how cognitive and contextual factors shape individuals’ identity work in response to abusive supervision and how these processes influence employee motivation and performance. Drawing on narrative identity theory and identity-based motivation theory, the research adopts a mixed-methods framework to explain variation in how individuals interpret and respond to supervisory mistreatment. Although identity work has received increasing scholarly attention, less is known about how identity processes shape employees’ responses to identity-threatening leadership experiences such as abusive supervision.

Study 1 employed a qualitative design using semi-structured interviews with 28 individuals who had experienced abusive supervision. Reflexive thematic analysis identified distinct identity work profiles shaped by differences in perceived cause of the abuse and perceived preparedness to cope with adversity. These findings clarified how individuals make sense of abusive experiences and amend their identities in response, highlighting contextual factors that contribute to divergent identity work strategies.

Study 2 quantitatively examined these relationships in a sample of 420 participants. Using structural equation modelling, the study tested whether abusive supervision predicted variations in sensemaking and whether these processes were associated with differences in motivation and work performance. Moderation analyses further examined whether causal attributions and perceived preparedness influenced these relationships. Results supported differential pathways linking identity-related processes to motivational and performance outcomes.

These findings advance theoretical understanding of identity work and abusive supervision by demonstrating how personal identity processes shape divergent motivational and performance outcomes following supervisory mistreatment. This research contributes to organizational theory by integrating identity, motivation, and contextual attribution processes and offers practical implications for designing targeted interventions that support employee resilience following workplace abuse.