How abusive supervision drives counterproductive work behavior: Multiple mediating mechanisms and the role of external locus of control

This study examines abusive supervision as a critical workplace stressor and its adverse effects on employee behavior and attitudes in the post-pandemic Ready-Made Garment (RMG) industry of Bangladesh. It investigates the impact of abusive supervision on counterproductive work behavior (CWB) and intention to leave (IL), while examining the mediating roles of perceived injustice (PI) and occupational stress (OS) and the moderating role of external locus of control (LC). Grounded in an integrated framework combining Social Exchange Theory (SET), Cognitive Appraisal Theory (CAT), and Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory, the study adopts a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected from 384 RMG employees using stratified random sampling and analyzed through Smart-PLS 4.0. The results show that abusive supervision significantly increases both CWB and IL. PI and OS partially mediate the abusive supervision–CWB relationship, while OS also mediates the abusive supervision–IL relationship. However, PI does not mediate the abusive supervision–IL link, suggesting that turnover intentions are driven more by stress and resource depletion than justice perceptions. Moreover, external LC moderates the abusive supervision–CWB relationship but not IL. The study highlights the importance of ethical supervision and stress-reduction practices in labor-intensive contexts.