Evidence for a curvilinear relationship between abusive supervision and creativity in South Korea

Applying activation theory, this study examined the possibility of a curvilinear relationship between abusive supervision and employee creativity. Using survey responses of 203 subordinate-supervisor dyads in South Korea, hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated a curvilinear (inverted U-shaped) relationship between a supervisor's abusive behaviors and an employee's creative performance. Specifically, employees exhibited more creativity when abusive supervision was at a moderate level rather than at very low or very high levels. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.