Chapter 6: Exploring Supervisor-Induced Stressors, Employee Job Neglect, and Counterproductive Workplace Behaviors: The Potential Benefits of the Machiavellian Employee

Even though prior research has investigated the impact that workplace stressors have on employee behaviors, the unique relationship between the supervisor and employee calls for more in-depth empirical explorations of the influence of employees’ dispositions combined with the stressors they face—particularly when it comes to employees’ likelihood to engage in various forms of counterproductive workplace behaviors (CWBs). Using a conservation of resources (COR) framework, this chapter analyzes the supervisoremployee relationship by exploring how a dark personality characteristic of employees influences both stressors and performance of CWBs. Specifically, we conducted an empirical time-separated study of supervisor-employee dyads to examine the influence of supervisor-induced stressors (both challenge and hindrance) on the likelihood of employees to engage in workplace job neglect behavior and subsequent forms of CWBs. We found a significant indirect effect between supervisor-induced challenge stressors and hindrance stressors on three forms of CWB via employee job neglect. Additionally, we found that employee Machiavellianism, usually predicted to have negative influences on work outcomes, served to reduce the amount of CWBs conducted when supervisor-induced hindrance stressors are present in the workplace. These findings offer support for the multifaceted nature of dark personality on employee behavior when combined with workplace stressors, particularly if these stressors originate from the supervisor.