Wu, X; Zhang, L and Zhang, C (2025) Linking frontline construction workers' perceived abusive supervision to work engagement: Job insecurity as the game-changing mediation and job alternative as a moderator. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 32(3), pp. 1739-1758. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose: This research focuses on exploring a psychological mechanism between abusive supervision and job engagement via job insecurity and job alternative to understand how frontline construction workers' perceived abusive supervision impacts on their work engagement. Design/methodology/approach: This study draws on the conservation of resources theory (COR) to postulate that workers' job insecurity acts as a mediation between abusive supervision and work engagement, and the perception of job alternative moderates the impact of abusive supervision on job insecurity. This study empirically tests survey data from 357 frontline construction workers and adopts partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the proposed model. Findings: This paper proved the dark-side of abusive supervision, dual character of job insecurity and moderating role of job alternative. The game-changing mediation effects of job insecurity were examined, which suggested that work engagement would be higher when abusive supervision stimulates stronger job insecurity. Furthermore, the result indicated that the relationship between abusive supervision and job insecurity should be weaker when job alternative is high. Practical implications: This research suggests construction project managers (CPMs) must take steps such as enhancing supervisors' emotional management skills to control frequency of abuse and thus lessen compromising engagement. Moreover, overall understanding frontline workers' job insecurity is meaningful for better construction performance management. Originality/value: This research contributes to the disputed leadership style (abusive supervision) and positive psychology knowledge (work engagement) in construction projects by unveiling the psychosocial mechanism (game-changing effects of job insecurity) of construction frontline workers positive engaged feeling. This study highlights the function of personal and job resources in process of resource conservation.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | abusive supervision; frontline construction workers; job alternative; job insecurity; work engagement; questionnaire survey |
| Index terms: | partial least square, frontline worker, psychology, questionnaire, methodology, construction project, survey, leadership style, structural equation modelling, mediation, resource conservation, manager, conservation, supervision, supervisor, construction worker, construction performance |
| Subjects: | research methods, production management, sustainable design, leadership, behavioral psychology, practitioner, environmental policy, statistical analysis, data collection methods, control systems, dispute resolution, performance assessment |
| Topics: | Legal Issues, Sustainability, Project Management, Site Management, Organizational Design, Roles and Professions, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here