An Examination of Insubordination as a Response to Abusive Supervision

Despite the prevalence and impact of interpersonal mistreatment in the workplace, our knowledge of insubordination remains remarkably incomplete. We define insubordination as “subordinates’ disobedient behaviors that intentionally exhibit a defiant refusal of their supervisors’ authority” and describe the unique conceptual space insubordination occupies within interpersonal mistreatment research. Then, we draw from social exchange theory to...