Abstract
Ambivalent interpersonal relationships in organizations are known to have deleterious effects on employee health and wellbeing, work performance, counterproductive work behaviors, and more. However, little research has examined ambivalent relationships in the supervisor-subordinate dyad. In the present study, I contribute to the supervisor-subordinate literature by examining the interaction between abusive supervision and supervisor support. Furthermore, I extend past findings by investigating the mediating role of ambivalent supervisor identification, hypothesizing that support in an otherwise abusive supervisor relationship will lead to ambivalent supervisor identification and, consequently, negative health outcomes. Finally, I explore the role of dialectical thinking style, an Eastern mode of thinking which allows for the acceptance of contradiction, as a moderating factor between ambivalent supervisor behaviors and ambivalent supervisor identification. The data for this thesis came from an archival dataset in which my variables of interest were included. My findings failed to replicate past research on the direct, interactive effects of abusive supervision and supervisor support. However, there was a significant indirect effect of this interaction through ambivalent supervisor identification predicting stress but not wellbeing. I found no significant effect for the contradiction dimension of dialectical thinking style, which may be due to sampling and survey restrictions. Limitations, future directions, and practical implications are discussed.
Notes
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Graduation Date
2022
Semester
Fall
Advisor
Ehrhart, Mark
Degree
Master of Science (M.S.)
College
College of Sciences
Department
Psychology
Degree Program
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Format
application/pdf
Identifier
CFE0009421; DP0027144
URL
https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0027144
Language
English
Release Date
December 2022
Length of Campus-only Access
None
Access Status
Masters Thesis (Open Access)
STARS Citation
Vermilion, Barret, "The Dialectics of Ambivalent Identification in the Supervisor-Subordinate Dyad" (2022). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-. 1450.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd2020/1450