The Relationship between Abusive Supervision, Work-Life Balance, Regulatory Focus and Customer Orientation

Hundreds of studies have investigated the negative impact of abusive supervision over the last two decades. Many scholars have examined the relationship between abusive supervision and various result variables. Abusive supervision defined as subordinates' perception of the extent to which supervisors engage in the sustained display of hostile verbal and nonverbal behaviors(Tepper, 2000, p.178). So many scholars need to further investigate this escalating phenomenon to develop interventions that can help managers, practitioners, and organizations at reducing or eliminating such destructive supervisory behaviors. This research to examined the relationship between abusive supervision and customer orientation based on the hospital context. More detailed we set the work life balance(WLB) mediating variable, clear explain of process of abusive supervision influence to customer orientation. Also we set the regulatory focus(prevent, promotion, Higgins, 1998) moderate variables reflected context. Based on the literature review, we build up the direct, mediate, moderate and moderated mediation hypothesis. Total 289 questionnaires are used for testing the hyphotheis, overcome the common method bias because of time lagged collections. The results are as follows. First, abusive supervision significantly decreased customer orientation and WLB. Second, WLB significantly increased customer orientation. Third, WLB mediate between abusive supervision and customer orientation. Fourth, regulatory focus(prevent, promotion) moderate between abusive supervision and WLB. More detailed, if high on prevention focus, abusive supervision and WLB of negative relationship are buffered. However if high on promotion focus, abusive supervision and WLB of negative relationship are boost up. Finally, moderated mediation(conditionally indirect effect) effect are supported which if high on promotion focus, that if high on promotion focus, WLB of mediation effect are greater than if low on promotion focus. Based on the results, Organization should prevent the supervisor’s abusive supervision for set the strong ethical norm, practices and regulations. Also should set the and freely using of WLB practices for customer orientation. Therefore, this study have theoretical and implemental contributions to explain of relationship between abusive supervision, customer orientation, WLB and regulatory focus.