Stressful workplace relationships: a qualitative and quantitative exploration

150 Pages·2017·0.82 MB·English

University of Iowa
Iowa Research Online
Theses and Dissertations
Summer 2014
Stressful workplace relationships: a qualitative and
quantitative exploration
Abigail J. Pierotti
University of Iowa
Copyright 2014 Abigail J. Pierotti
This dissertation is available at Iowa Research Online: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/1381
Recommended Citation
Pierotti, Abigail J.. "Stressful workplace relationships: a qualitative and quantitative exploration." PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) thesis,
University of Iowa, 2014.
https://doi.org/10.17077/etd.d1vc5vmo
Follow this and additional works at:https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd
Part of theBusiness Administration, Management, and Operations Commons
STRESSFUL WORKPLACE RELATIONSHIPS: A QUALITATIVE AND
QUANTITATIVE EXPLORATION
by
Abigail J. Pierotti
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the Doctor of
Philosophy degree in Business Administration
in the Graduate College of
The University of Iowa

August 2014
Thesis Supervisor: Professor Maria Kraimer
Copyright by
ABIGAIL J. PIEROTTI
2014
All Rights Reserved
Graduate College
The University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL
_______________________
PH.D. THESIS
_______________
This is to certify that the Ph.D. thesis of
Abigail J. Pierotti
has been approved by the Examining Committee
for the thesis requirement for the Doctor of Philosophy
degree in Business Administration at the August 2014 graduation.
Thesis Committee: ___________________________________
Maria Kraimer, Thesis Supervisor
___________________________________
Kenneth Brown
___________________________________
Amy Colbert
___________________________________
Eean Crawford
___________________________________
Scott Seibert
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I have many, many people to thank for helping me throughout this process. First, I
would like to thank my Advisor and Dissertation Chair, Maria Kraimer, for the
tremendous amount of help, support, and encouragement she provided me with
throughout the entire development of this dissertation. Maria, your efforts to help me stay
structured and on track were invaluable, as were your ideas and technical help. I would
have been lost without you! I am grateful to both Maria and Scott Seibert for their ideas
that helped me initially frame this work, as well as for their many hours of help and
guidance pursuing this topic. I could not have asked for a better committee. Maria, Scott,
Amy, Eean, and Ken - you all provided so much positive support, and each of you shared
insights and ideas that helped me develop this study. I have been told that having a good
committee is important, and I consider myself highly successful (and lucky) in this
regard. I also give a big thanks to Lindsey Greco for her help with coding and research.
I am grateful to the Management and Organizations faculty, staff, and students at
the Tippie College of Business for helping me throughout my doctoral program. What a
brilliant group of people! Renea Jay – I am not sure how I would have gotten through
without you navigating for me. Thank you for all you have done for me and for other
graduate students lucky enough to have you. I also owe a big thanks to the University of
Iowa Graduate College for my Presidential Fellowship, which supported me throughout
my graduate studies.
I would like to acknowledge all of those I interviewed for this study. I appreciate
everyone’s time and openness sharing personal experiences with me. This study could
not have been completed without those individuals, or without organizational
participation. My thanks to all individuals who participated in my survey-based study,
and especially those individuals within each organization who facilitated the process.
To Dave and Patty Harris, I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude for all of the
kindness and help you both provided. Your caring, generosity, and support allowed me to
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finish what I set out to do. I can never fully convey my gratefulness for all that you and
others at 7A have done for me. Dave, thank you for looking after Merlin, so he in turn
could look after me.
My family is central to any success I achieve. Mom and Dad – through your
endless support, you have always provided opportunities for me to explore my interests
and pursue my dreams. You are amazing parents and role models. Thank you for
absolutely everything. Tyler and Shantel – thank you for your encouragement. You are
both always there when I need you! Ty – you have an uncanny ability to cheer me up
keep me grounded. Thank you for helping me keep things in perspective, and for giving
me a boost when I need it.
Finally, my sincere thanks to my best friend, Mark Mendes, who has helped me
with this project in more ways than I can count. Mark, thank you for your encouragement
and support, and thank you for challenging me to improve, even when it frustrates me. I
have deep admiration and respect for you, and I will always be appreciative of the ways
you have helped me with this and many other endeavors. You are a remarkable human
being and I am grateful to have you in my life.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. vi

LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... vii

CHAPTER
I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................1

Purpose of the Study .........................................................................................5
Overview of Theories .......................................................................................8
Dissertation Outline ........................................................................................10

II. LITERATURE REVIEW ..............................................................................................12

Abusive Supervision .......................................................................................13
Victimization ..................................................................................................15
Social Undermining ........................................................................................18
Summary of Related Constructs .....................................................................19
Coaching .........................................................................................................20

III. STUDY 1: QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION ...........................................................23

Overview and Purpose ....................................................................................23
Methods ..........................................................................................................23
Procedure .................................................................................................24
Data Analysis ...........................................................................................25
Study 1 Results ...............................................................................................28
Research Question 1 - Actor Behaviors ..................................................28
Research Question 2 - Target Characteristics .........................................31
Research Question 3 - Coping Strategies ................................................36
Research Question 4 - Positive Outcomes ...............................................39
Discussion .......................................................................................................42
Theoretical Implications and Implications for Study 2 ...........................43
Limitations and Strengths ........................................................................51
Conclusion and Transition to Study 2 .....................................................52

IV. STUDY 2: THEORETICAL MODEL AND HYPOTHESIS DEVELOPMENT ......53

Overview of the Proposed Model ...................................................................54
Hypothesis Development ................................................................................59
Supervisor Perceptions of Subordinate Arrogance ..................................59
Supervisor Behaviors and Subordinate Self-Determination ....................65
Subordinate Perceptions of Supervisor Behaviors ..................................67
Subordinate Outcomes .............................................................................70
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Conclusion ...............................................................................................74

V. STUDY 2 METHODS ..................................................................................................75

Sample ............................................................................................................75
Procedure ........................................................................................................77
Measures .........................................................................................................77

VI. STUDY 2 RESULTS ...................................................................................................86

Confirmatory Factor Analyses ........................................................................87
Exploratory Factor Analyses ..........................................................................88
Hypothesis Testing .........................................................................................90
Structural Equation Modeling .................................................................90
Regression ...............................................................................................96

VII. DISCUSSION ..........................................................................................................100

Theoretical Implications ...............................................................................101
Practical Implications ...................................................................................105
Strengths and Limitations .............................................................................107
Future Research ............................................................................................109
Conclusion ....................................................................................................111

REFERENCES ................................................................................................................113

APPENDIX A: SCALE ITEMS ......................................................................................129

APPENDIX B: HUMAN SUBJECTS OFFICE APPROVAL ........................................140
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Taxonomy of Study 1 Categories ........................................................................27
Table 2: Survey Participant Breakdown ............................................................................76
Table 3: Descriptive Statistics ...........................................................................................78
Table 4: Study 2 Correlations ............................................................................................84
Table 5: Indirect Effects from Supervisor Behaviors to Subordinate Outcomes...............95
Table 6: Moderation Analysis Results ...............................................................................97
Table 7: Summary of Hypothesis Testing .........................................................................99

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Study 1 Model of Stressful Workplace Relationships........................................49
Figure 2: Hypothesized Model for Study 2........................................................................58
Figure 3: Hypothesized Model Results for Study 2 ...........................................................93
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