information Article How do the Employees’s Perceptions of Abusive Supervision Affect Customer Satisfaction in the Chain Restaurants? Employee-Customer Level Analysis Hyo Sun Jung 1 and Hye Hyun Yoon 2,* 1 Center for Converging Humanities, KyungHee University, Seoul 02447, Korea; [email protected] 2 Department of Culinary Arts and Food Service Management, KyungHee University, Seoul 02447, Korea * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 1 July 2020; Accepted: 1 August 2020; Published: 3 August 2020 Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of chain restaurant employees’ perception of abusive supervision on employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction. The sample for the survey was collected from 228 customers and 93 employees in a chain restaurant. The results showed a negative relationship between abusive supervision and employee satisfaction. However, abusive supervision did not have a significant, direct effect on customer satisfaction, but showed an indirect effect via employee satisfaction. In addition, employee satisfaction was positively associated with customer satisfaction. Keywords: abusive supervision; employee satisfaction; customer satisfaction; chain restaurants 1. Introduction In recent years, destructive leadership and related issues have received growing attention, with research undertaken on the effects of abusive supervision, in particular. Research findings have suggested that a supervisor’s abusive behavior in the workplace leads to employees’ negative performance and incurs organizational costs [1,2]. Such behavior can be seen as abusive leadership, which Schyns and Schilling [3] defined as how the activities, experiences, and relationships of individuals or group members are repeatedly affected by a supervisor over a long period of time. The term abusive supervision [4] is most frequently referred to in relation to destructive leadership. Tepper [5] defined it as long-term abuse of subordinates through actions that include mockery, threats, intentional holding back of information, or silence. Many studies have cited abusive supervision as a principal cause of employees’ chronic disability or stress [6–8]. Until now, researchers have paid most attention to positive leadership, focusing on a supervisor’s dynamic roles in enhancing employees’ work satisfaction [9,10]. The effect of bad leadership remains largely unknown. We therefore aimed to illuminate the dark side of leadership that negatively affects employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction. This study starts from the question of whether an abusive supervisor can make not only employees but also customers leave. There are many studies on work satisfaction and customer satisfaction, and yet little is known about the role of an abusive supervisor in triggering dissatisfaction. Particularly in the foodservice industry, employees’ attitudes and consequent service quality play a key role in creating a pleasant experience for customers and increasing their satisfaction; thus, internal marketing is of utmost importance to improve customer satisfaction [11,12]. Further, foodservice customers tend to be loyal to several restaurants at a time, and thus it is very important for restaurants to make good use of their human resources to ensure customer satisfaction and set their restaurants apart from others [13]. Many studies have been conducted to date on the effect of abusive supervision on employees’ psychological well-being and work attitude [14–16]. No studies have been conducted on the Information 2020, 11, 384; doi:10.3390/info11080384 www.mdpi.com/journal/information Information 2020, 11, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 10 for restaurants to make good use of their human resources to ensure customer satisfaction and set Informationtheir restaurants2020, 11, 384 apart from others [13]. Many studies have been conducted to date on the effect2 of 10of abusive supervision on employees’ psychological well-being and work attitude [14–16]. 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FigureFigure 1.1. ResearchResearch model.model. 2. Theoretical Background and Hypothesis Development 2. Theoretical Background and Hypothesis Development 2.1. Relationship between Abusive Supervision and Employee Satisfaction 2.1. Relationship between Abusive Supervision and Employee Satisfaction Tepper [5] explained that abusive supervision is a subordinate employee’s perception of the supervisorTepper in [5] relation explained to the that extent abusiv of thee displaysupervision of hostile is a verbalsubordinate and nonverbal employee’s behaviors perception that doof notthe includesupervisor physical in relation contact. to Mostthe extent studies of on the abusive display supervisors of hostile haveverbal shown and nonverbal that an abusive behaviors supervisor’s that do behaviors—expressednot include physical incontact. the form Most of destructivestudies on leadership—didabusive supervisors not result have in shown constructive that an employee abusive behaviorsupervisor’s [17, 18behaviors—expressed]. Work satisfaction is in a principal the form topic of ofdestructive research in leadership—did the workplace [19 not]; it indicatesresult in developmentconstructive employee of favorable beha emotionvior [17,18]. toward Work one’s satisfaction work, based is on a evaluationprincipal topic of work of experienceresearch in [ 20the]. Theworkplace more abusive [19]; it theindicates supervisor, development the weaker of thefavorable acknowledgment emotion toward of distributive one’s work, justice based and theon lowerevaluation the level of ofwork work experience satisfaction [[20].21]. Similarly,The more Lin, abusive Wang and the Chen supervisor, [22] argued the that weaker an abusive the supervisoracknowledgment hurts the of employees’distributive well-being, justice and especially the lower through the level poorer of work mental satisfaction health and [21]. lower Similarly, work satisfaction.Lin, Wang and Ahmad, Chen Khattak, [22] argued and Ahmadthat an [ 23abus] alsoive asserted supervisor that hurts employees the employees’ experience well-being, unwanted emotionsespecially and through responses poorer due mental to an health abusive and supervisor’s lower work behaviors, satisfaction. and Ahmad, thus grow Khattak, dissatisfied and Ahmad with work.[23] also Kernan asserted et al. that [24] employees maintained experience that a supervisor’s unwanted abusive emotions behaviors and responses make their due subordinates to an abusive feel insulted,supervisor’s thereby behaviors, negatively and athusffecting grow their dissatisfied work satisfaction. with work. Mathieu Kernan andet al. Babiak [24] maintained [25] argued that that a swearingsupervisor’s and abusive other nonverbal behaviors abusive make behaviorstheir subordin displayedates feel to subordinates insulted, ther haveeby an negatively absolute influenceaffecting ontheir reducing work satisfaction. work satisfaction, Mathieu while and Qian,Babiak Song, [25] argued and Wang that [ 26swearing] found and that other a supervisor’s nonverbal insulting abusive wordsbehaviors and displayed behaviors to are subordinates closely tied have to theiran absolute subordinates’ influence work on reducing dissatisfaction. work satisfaction, Peltokorpi while and RamaswamiQian, Song, and [27] observedWang [26] that found abusive that a supervision supervisor’s aff insultingects subordinates’ words and work behaviors satisfaction are closely negatively, tied causedto their by subordinates’ the employees’ work negative dissatisfaction. response toPeltokorpi why they and are mistreated.Ramaswami In [27] summary, observed higher that abusiveabusive supervisionsupervision leadsaffects to subordinates’ lower job satisfaction, work satisfaction while lowernegatively, abusive caused supervision by the employees’ leads to higher negative job satisfaction.response to Givenwhy they these are findings, mistreated. the following In summary hypothesis, higher was abusive proposed: supervision leads to lower job Hypothesis 1 (H1). Abusive supervision is negatively related to employee satisfaction. Information 2020, 11, 384 3 of 10 2.2. Relationship between Employee Satisfaction and Customer Satisfaction Locke [28] defined employee satisfaction as a pleasant emotional state that can help to achieve