Kick the Cat: A Serial Crossover Effect of Supervisors’ Ego Depletion on Subordinates’ Deviant Behavior

Drawing on the crossover model and conservation of resources theory, we explore the mechanism through which supervisors’ ego depletion induces subordinates’ deviant behavior. Using the two-wave survey data from 24 supervisors and their 192 respective subordinates, we found supports for our hypotheses that (a) abusive supervision mediated the effect of supervisors’ ego depletion on subordinates’ ego depletion; (b) subordinates’ ego depletion...