Ever worked for a supervisor who appeared to thrive on shouting at her staff? Or perhaps one who seemed to demean employees to elevate his own self-esteem?

If that’s the case, you weren’t just imagining it.

Recent findings from the University of Georgia revealed that some supervisors flourish in abusive conduct.

“For two decades, we have explored aggressive conduct in the workplace, and it has consistently resulted in adverse outcomes for performance and productivity,” stated Szu-Han (Joanna) Lin, the W. Richard and Emily Acree Professor in Management at UGA’s Terry College of Business. “However, we also realize that individuals continue this behavior. We assumed that managers who exhibit such actions would feel remorse, impacting them negatively. But that isn’t always the scenario.”

While organizational psychologists have studied negative supervisors for numerous years, the majority of studies concentrated on the effects of workplace mistreatment on employees and their performance. Other research focused on supervisors who lash out at workers due to stress or fatigue — but not on those who consciously engage in abusive behavior.

The study was partly inspired by episodes of “Hell’s Kitchen,” a reality series featuring the irate British chef Gordon Ramsay berating subordinates for 45 minutes straight.

“As I watched season after season, I thought, ‘Hmm? I wonder what drives his behavior,’” Lin recalled. “That piqued my interest. Most studies seem to focus on how this conduct affects followers. I wanted to understand the leaders. There must be some benefit for them if they persist in this way.”

Some supervisors yell to compel employees to comply, asserting their authority

The researchers conducted a survey of a varied group of 100 supervisors across multiple industries, inquiring if and why they engaged in abusive actions.

The supervisors were surprisingly open and honest in the qualitative questionnaires. Some confessed to yelling at staff when they were burnt out or overwhelmed. However, a noteworthy number admitted to mistreating employees to ensure compliance or to demonstrate who held the power.

Supervisors involved in this abusive conduct emerged from various sectors, including manufacturing, construction, nursing, and sales.

A subsequent study examined 249 supervisors daily over a period of 15 days, asking whether they had been abusive toward their employees that day, what preceded the abuse, and how they felt afterward.

Once again, Lin and her team discovered that burnout or unpleasant emotions often led to instances of abuse. But nearly an equal number of supervisors reported intentionally shouting at or reprimanding subordinates — not out of frustration, but to enhance performance or assert their leadership position.

Supervisors who yell to enhance employee performance and reinforce their power usually do not feel remorse

When supervisors were exhausted and yelled at their employees, they often felt guilty or even worse afterward. Conversely, when they were abusive to improve performance or reinforce their role as leaders, they felt a sense of accomplishment afterward, as if they had achieved something.

“If they act out with a specific aim, such as boosting compliance or maintaining their identity as leaders, they are fulfilling an emotional need,” Lin explained. “If my followers are underperforming and I shout at them to gain their compliance, I feel I’ve accomplished something in the short term. If I explode due to fatigue, I won’t experience any satisfaction.”

Gaining insight into why leaders lash out at their subordinates can inform leadership training provided to new managers and help prevent abuse.

“It’s crucial for leaders to acknowledge that they may have motivations for abusive behavior, which can help them find more effective leadership techniques,” Lin emphasized. “You might desire your followers to heed your instructions or seek to establish your authority as a leader. While that’s understandable, there are alternative methods to achieve those ends.

“Engaging in abusive behaviors will invariably result in negative outcomes. No one will feel motivated at all. Leaders must recognize this issue if we want them to adopt better strategies and approaches.”

Released in the Journal of Management, the study was co-authored by Emily Poulton, a doctoral alumnus from UGA’s Terry College, and Russell Johnson.

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