When resources run dry: How and when abusive supervisory relationships end

Organizations and employees greatly suffer from abusive supervisors. To intervene more effectively, we need to understand how long abusive supervisory relationships typically last, what resources are (un)available to employees, and how these relationships usually come to an end. This knowledge not only provides insight into how much time organizations may have to intervene but also helps to clarify whether abusive supervisory relationships tend to end through active intervention (e.g., employees speaking out or leaders being fired) or through other, less deliberate processes (e.g., employees leaving). In two samples of former victims, abusive supervisory relationships were found to last on average 2.5 years, ranging from one month to 30 years. In most cases, these relationships ended because the employee left. The relationship ending because of consequences for the supervisor (e.g., getting fired) was much rarer, and genuine resolution occurred only in a handful of cases. Former victims reported the importance of personal and contextual resources for coping with abuse, but at the same time often reported that these crucial resources were absent. These findings suggest that organizations often miss critical opportunities to intervene in a timely and effective manner when employees experience abusive supervision, thereby risking the loss of valuable human capital.